
Class __Q*^3l_ 
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COFXRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



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REPRESENTATIVE MEN ^, 



OF 



CONNECTICUT 



1 86 1 - 1 894. 






EVERETT, INIASS. : 

Massachusetts Publishing Company. 

1894. 



Copyright, 1894, 

BY 

WILLIAM F. MOORS, 

EVERETT, MASS. ^^ 



fv^ 



C\ ^ PRESS OF FRANK D. WOODBURY, 

EVERETT SQUARE. 



PREFACE, 



BICKiRAPHY is capable of being one of the most interesting of pnblications from the 
fact that human life is the most fascinating of all subjects, and every well told story 
of a life is worth reading. In its field many gifted writers ha\-e found congenial 
soil in which to sow the seeds of truth and righteousness. It is, moreover, a 
department of literature sure to find many earnest and thoughtful readers. There is a 
feeling of sympathy, binding together all ranks and classes of men throughout the ages, 
which has its root in unity of nature, similarity of condition and circumstances, and a 
common destiny, which leads those who are beset with difKculties, surrounded by dangers, 
or hindered by opposition, to study the records of other lives ; to see if, perchance, they may 
learn the secret of success, and in turn be able to win their way through all discourage- 
ments to positions of usefulness, honor and fame. 

Thus the boy who finds it so difficult to master the task assigned him by his teacher, 
and thinks that learning is such arduous work, will be encouraged to persevere by the 
example of Dr. Adam Clarke, the eminent scholar and commentator who, while a boy, was 
the butt and jest of his school mates, because of his dullness and inability to comprehend 
the simplest Latin forms, and yet before his death was the master of all the oriental and 
classical languages. In like manner the youth of slim purse, and perhaps discouraged at 
the outlook, as he reads the story of the lives of the self-made men in the following pages, 
and finds they attained their present height with no more vantage ground than he possesses, 
will take courage and strive to reach like success. 

Both History- and Biography are valuable adjuncts in the history of the race. Each 
has its province, which, if not absolutely distinct, is still outlined with sufficient precision 
for practical purposes. History deals with the more general facts, is large in outline, 
stretches over great space and a long time, records the action of great masses, as states and 
nations, or the dealing of nation with nation. If it busies itself with individuals, it is only 
or chiefly in their relation to larger numbers, to communities or commonwealths. It is 
continuous, unbroken — or if divided into parts, then only for convenience, to abridge the 
whole into proportions commensurate to the time to be devoted to it, or to expand the 
account of single peoples by a minuter detail of their corporate action. History is thus 
comprehensive, general, national. It deals less with individual character than with universal 
laws, and with actions peculiar to men in their united capacity. But the province of 
Biograph)- is much humbler, nnich less comprehensive, yet scarcely less important. It 
records individual actions, not alone in their relation to the commonwealth, but in their 
relations to other indi\idnals. In its more complete form it may record, in extenso, the 
dealings of man with man, or of a man with a commonwealth. The point of view is 
entirely different in Biography from that of Histor)-. In the latter the individual is 
unimportant, except in his influence on the state and nation. His personal purity and 
greatness have no existence for History apart from their bearing on public affairs. But in 
Biography the individual is all important. The facts of his life are the objects of our study, 
and secondaril)- the nioti\es which underlie them. 

(iii) 



iv PREFACE. 

The word Biography is modern in its origin, and of comparatively recent introduction. 
As a "life writing" it is the photograph of the subject. It reveals the circumstances of 
his birth and education ; lays open the interior forces of development, the conditions of 
growth and the facts of accomplishment. As its aim is the improvement of the reader, it 
dwells with special emphasis on whatever was excellent and commendable, and proposes it 
for imitation as far as it may be legitimate and desirable. It scientifically presents the 
ancestry of its subjects for brief and interested examination. In no section of the world 
have family records been preserved with more accuracy and painstaking care than in the 
states of Massachusetts and Connecticut. It is a matter of public congratulation that such 
is the case. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson affirmed that "a man is what his mother makes him," and 
while there is much truth in the words the phrase does not express the whole truth. Past 
generations, as well as the beloved mother have been concerned in the building of the man. 
Physical peculiarities and mental tendencies have been transmitted to him by his ancestors. 
The faults or virtues of progenitors modify the moral responsibility of living descendants. 
This is often pleaded in extenuation of the wrong of habitual alcoholism. It is equally true 
of those in whom no such appetite exists. The noble and godly fathers of the New Eng- 
land colonies believed that in improving their own intellectual powers, and in elevating their 
own moral nature by watchful self-discipline, they were not merely benefitting themselves, 
but that the\- were improving the mental and moral condition which their children should 
inherit from them. That this sublime faith was founded in fact, the pages of this volume 
amply attest. 

No claim for historic merit is made for this work, except as it is the hi.stor)- of 
individuals. The annals of the commonwealth of Connecticut have been compiled by differ- 
ent persons, but there is still room for a comprehensive history of the whole state, ample as 
to its proportions and accurate in its details. Few states have been more fertile in deserv- 
ing men than Connecticut, and to bring the main facts of a portion of these worthy 
citizens into public view is the real object of this volume. We say a portion, for it is cer- 
tain that not (/// the deserving merit of the state is concentrated within its covers. It is 
believed that such a record will be of incalculable benefit, not only to the living but to yet 
others who are to come after, and a part of whose culture will be the study of the history 
of these very times, in which the men whose biographies are here set forth play no mean 
part. Is it indulging in a hope utterly vain, if the prediction is made that these biographies 
may form one of the most acceptable sources of information from which the future historian 
of Connecticut may draw his material when the present times shall have passed into the 
domain of history? 

We would take this opportunity to express our high appreciation of the uniform 
courtesy with which we were received in all parts of the state, after the fact was made 
evident that a high grade biographical work was to be brought out. From false concep- 
tions as to the scope of this volume, as well as mistaken notions regarding their own dignity, 
a few gentlemen have declined to assist in our work, and consequently their names are 
"conspicuous by their absence" from our list of the "Representative Men of Connecticut." 

While full credit has been given for quotations used, we would acknowledge our 
indebtedness to "An Illustrated Biography of Connecticut," "Biographical Encyclopedia of 
Connecticut and Rhode Island," and "Biography of Connecticut," for valuable data in the 
preparation of sketches. 

Everett, Mass., Julj- 15, 1S94. 



<; 




fjfl^uJ^'^f^^ 




Representative Men of Connecticut. 



1861 = 1894. 



Buckingham, WILLIAM Alfred, the famous war crovemor of Connecticut, 
'"l was born May 28, 1S04, in the ancient town of Lebanon, Conn. 
,\\^ He was the son of Samuel and Joainia Matson Buckingham, both of whom 

yJl were remarkable people. Of the first, it has been said "that he was an enter- 
prising and thrift)- farmer, of cordial and hospitable characteristics, a Christian 
gentleman of rare good judgment, of careful and exact business habits, reverent, tender-hearted 
and full of sympathy, and rigid in his ideas of personal liberty." Of the latter it has been 
said, with equal truth, that " she connnanded the love and gratitude of the entire comnumity 
in which she lived ; that she ministered like an angel to the relief of the sick and dying ; that 
she spent little on herself but much on others : scattering her gifts wherever needed and giving 
most cheerfully the best at her command." With such a parentage, the son nuist of necessity 
hav'e developed an extraordinary manhood. 

The memorials of the Buckingham family, from the first of the name who left England 
in 1637, down to the present, have been preserved in unbroken line, and they afford a splendid 
illustration of the power of early influences in moulding the character of successive generations. 
Thomas Buckingham, the first inunigrant of the name, came first to Boston, then moved to 
New Haven, and finally located at Milford, Conn. His son. Rev. Thomas Buckingham, settled 
in Saybrook, was one of the founders of Yale College, and of the synod that formed the 
Saybrook platform. Then follows {3) Daniel, (4) Daniel, Jr., (5) Samuel, (6) Sanmel, Jr., 
who was the father of the Go\ernor. The record shows that for two centuries and a half, 
his ancestors have been men of fer\'ent piety and rare sagacity in public affairs, of superior 
intellectual powers, and of prominence in the community of which they were members. ' 

Young Buckingham was born and reared among patriotic associations, as, from the colonial 
period, Lebanon had stood preeminent for patriotism. Educated in the public schools of his 
own and the neighboring village, he was taught to bear his own part in honest labor on his 
father's fann. A year spent in teaching showed that the art of imparting learning was not 
to his taste, and he decided to enter upon a mercantile life. At the age of nineteen, he 
entered the employ of a business firm of Norwich, and from thenceforward he made careful 
study of the principles of trade. After three years of close application, he detennined himself 
to enter a mercantile career on his own account. Opening a store in NoiAvich, .so thoroughly 
grounded was he in all the details of his business that the venture was a success from the start ; 
in all that goes to make up a Christian business man, he was the model. Not long afterwards, 
to his mercantile business he added manufacturing, and in 1848 he abandoned the fonner 
altogether, to devote his entire time and energies to new and more expanded methods of 
building up the latter. 

In 1849 he was elected mayor of Norwich, and was re-elected the following year. In 
1856 he was again chosen to the mayoralty, and was re-elected in 1S57. His four years' 
administration of local affairs was clean and dignified, and he went out of ofl!ice with the best 
■wishes of the whole community and with a reputation as broad as the state for official probity 

(5) 



6 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

and execiiti\-e ability. With the exception of this position, Mr. Buckingham had held no 
public oflfice prior to 1858. Although his life had been passed in comparative quietude, Hon. 
O. S. Ferry says of him in his memorial address before the Senate of the United States, " No 
man ever lived who more truly, unaffectedly and constantly regarded all his possessions, whether 
of time, talents, property or influence, as a stewardship from God and humanity. He taught 
little children in the Sunday School ; as deacon of the church, he was its almoner to the poor, 
and the distributor of the sacred emblems to the membership of its communion, and to the 
stranger within its gates. He helped to found academies, build up public libraries, provide for 
feeble churches, promote temperance reform, endow colleges, and to send the light of Christian 
civilization to the remotest corners of the globe. He did all this so naturally, as it were, that, 
proceeding from him, it seemed nothing extraordinary. Moreover, there were ever flowing 
from him streams of hidden beneficence, gladdening man}- hearts and dr}-ing the tears in many 
eyes, whose stor\- will never be told until the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed." 

A sketch in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Connecticut sa\"s : " The great tidal wa\-e of 
popular opposition to the further progress of human slavery which disintegrated old political 
parties and prepared the material for new ones, attracted Mr. Buckingham's warmest s}-mpathies. 
Having always been a Whig, the repeal of the Missouri Compromise shocked every sensibility 
of his intellectual and moral nature. It followed, as a matter of course, that he should become 
an ardent member of the Republican party. In 1856, when the new party for the first time 
entered the field as the national political organization, his name was placed on the Republican 
electoral ticket, and added no little to its st:ccess. Being thus prominently brought before the 
people, and his excellent qualities better appreciated by being better known, in the spring of 
1858, he was nominated and elected governor of the commonwealth. By consecutive annual 
elections he held that exalted and responsible position for a period of eight years. The most 
eventful portion of American history since the War of Independence was covered by his 
tenure of office. 

The first two years of his administration were comparatively uneventful ; but in the third, 
the storm which had been gathering so long biirst in all its fury. Two systems of society, each 
diametrically opposed to the other and coeval with the Republic, came into violent collision. 
Freedom and slavery were set in battle array, and one must yield the palm to the other. The 
position of either party seemed right in its own eyes. The election of President Lincoln put a 
final stop to the extension of slaverj- and brought the hostile forces to a definite issue. To 
Governor Buckingham, "secession was rebellion, and an ordinance of secession was a declara- 
tion of war." Realizing the inevitable, he began to prepare for the conflict in the winter of 
1860-61. His preparations were fully justified by the assault on Fort Sumter, and from the 
fall of that Federal stronghold, he devoted himself, " mind, body and estate, to bring that 
conflict to a successful issue." 

, The military and civil history of Connecticut during the war of 1S61-65, is almost wholly 

the story of his administration. Not only is his personal biogiaphy a prominent part of the 

"Taistory of Connecticut, but also of the entire United States. In a great measure, the state 
was unprepared for the dread issue forced upon it ; but, to quote again from Senator Ferr}-, 
"The Governor anticipated the enactment of laws, assumed responsibility, and pledged his 
private credit in the purchase of supplies and munitions of war for the troops which from all 
parts of the state were filling up the rolls of the volunteers. When the Legislature assembled, 
it passed acts of indemnity, and literally placed the whole resources of the state at his disposal. 
And thus it continued substantially during the entire war. Never was a trust more faithfully 
executed. As call after call proceeded from Washington, the Governor was indefatigable in 
procuring the promptest response." His time, talents, and pecuniar)- resources were freely 



OF COXXECTICUT, iS6i-iS(^4. 7 

given to the completeness of the equipment of the troops, and to the promotion of their 
personal comfort. Xo detail was omitted ; neither Bible, nor books, nor suitable tents, nor 
anything else that could in any way contribute to their welfare or effectiveness. He conscien- 
tioush- visited ever>- regiment and addressed words of counsel and encouragement to its officers. 

And throughout the terrible struggle Governor Buckingham's courage and convictions 
never faltered for a moment. Compromise with citizens in arms against the national govern- 
ment was deemed impossible. To him national death was implied in the very word negotiation. 
" Whatever of trial, suffering or privation may be in store for us," he said, "or however long 
may be the controversy, firm in the faith that our nation will be preserved in its integrit\-, let 
us in adversity as well as in prosperity, in darkness as well as in light, give the administration 
our counsel, our confidence, our support." In the supreme crisis of the nation, a man cast in 
such a mould was a tower of strength. 

In Governor Buckingham's eyes, nothing was too good or too costly for the men of 
Connecticut. To one whose duties kept him largely at the front, the Governor said, " You 
will see a good many battles and much suffering ; don't let any Connecticut mrin suffer for 
want of anything that could be done for him ; if it costs money, draw on me for it." While 
yet the grounds were strewn with the dead and wounded, this person telegraphed from Gett\s- 
burg, and quick as the wires could bear it came the response, ' ' Take good care of Connecticut 
men." During the whole continuance of the war, duty called him often to Washington, and 
by his firmness, capacity, and devotion to the common cause, he earned the respect of all with 
whom he came in contact. President Lincoln appreciated him at his eminent worth, and on 
one occasion said to a gentleman from this state, ' ' From Connecticut ? Do you know what a 
good governor you have got ? ' ' That the citizens of Connecticut realized they had one of 
the best of chief magistrates is evidenced by the fact that they would not allow him to leave 
his post while the Rebellion had its existence. Not until the collapse was total, and the 
national \ictory full)- assured, and the authority of the Republic re-established on a permanent 
basis, would they permit him to retire to private life and seek the repose he sadly needed. 

Even then they would not consent to dispense entirely with his ser\-ices. In May, 1866, 
his last term of office as governor expired, and just two years later he was elected a member of 
the United States Senate. For the six years following, he was associated with that august body 
of men who constitute the National Senate, and all regarded him with loving reverence and 
unalloyed respect. An humble Christian, a pure statesman, a sincere patriot, a perfect gentle- 
man, he was indeed a model to his peers. The faithful representative of his state, and the 
constant guardian of his countr>-'s interests, he was very assiduous in the transaction of business, 
doing his work in committee and in the Senate with the laborious industry of his earlier prime, 
and the matured wisdom of his ripening years. 

As the session of 1874-75 commenced, it was evident that his active and eventful career 
was drawing to a close. While the bodily powers were failing, his mind remained clear and 
unperturbed. Near the end of life he sank into unconsciousness, and thus quietly passed away. 
Governors, senators, representatives, and other great dignitaries, came to take one last look 
into the face of the departed. Rich and poor, young and old, men and women, the brilliant 
and the beautiful, all came to pay a last tribute to his sterling worth and manifold virtues. 

Governor Buckingham was a strong advocate of temperance, and for some time was presi- 
dent of the American Temperance Union. A sincerely religious man, he attended faithfully to 
his duties as such. He rendered valuable ser\ices to the church in a variety of ways, and 
ser\-ed with ability and distinction in many lay capacities. He was a corporate member of the 
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and was moderator of the First National 
Congregational Council. Always an eaniest friend of education, among his bequests was one 



8 REPRESENTATIVE MEM 

of $25,000 to the Yale Theological School. He was deeply interested in the effort to establish 
the NoPvvich Free Academy, gave his personal efforts to raise a fund for its endowment, and 
contributed an amount second only to one other. Never remiss in his duty to the poor, he 
was at all times a generotrs benefactor to those in affliction. 

Making no claim to oratory, he possessed great aptness and readiness for his duties. He 
had a fund of useful infonnation, a practical knowledge of business, and a ready ability to 
express his views clearly and forcibly that always commanded the most respectful and undi\-ided 
attention. "As a member of the Senate committee of commerce, he mastered most fully the 
important questions that w'ere there presented for discussion and action. As chainnan of the 
committee on Indian affairs, he stood resolutely for justice for this stricken race, who so sadly 
need friends. His \-oice and vote were always given with the most conscientious regard for 
the public interest and the nation's honor." 

Connecticut has been prolific of statesmen, of soldiers, of patriots, of great men in the 
different walks of life; but among them all, there is not one of whom she has more just cause 
for pride than in William A. Buckingham. Eulogies are regularly pronounced on members of 
the United States Senate and House of Representatives, but seldom indeed are those funeral 
orations so truthful, so sincere and so heartfelt, as those that were uttered in connection with 
his obsequies. To quote the closing sentences of a biographical sketch, " Rich in saving 
common sense, and rich in all the elements and characteristics of symmetrical Christian man- 
hood, he has left a precious memory to his children and family, to his business associates, to 
the patriotic soldiers for whom he wisely and judiciously cared, to the church of which he was 
an adornment, and to the state of which he was one of the strongest and purest leaders. His 
death recalled to the minds of many survivors, what the English Poet Laureate said in speaking 
of one of England's good and great men : 

O good gray liead, which all men knew ; 

O steady nerve to all occasions true ; 
O fall'n at length that tower of strength 

Which stood foursquare the winds that blew." 

William A. Buckingham was married Sept. 27, 1S30, to Eliza, daughter of Dr. Dwight 
and Eliza Coit Ripley. Dr. Ripley was a wealth}- and prominent citizen, known and respected 
throughout the whole eastern section of the state. Their children were William Ripley who 
died in childhood, and Eliza Coit who married William A. Aiken, quartermaster-general on 
Governor Buckingham's staff. 

On the iSth of June, 1884, a beautiful memorial of Governor Buckingham was unveiled 
in Hartford with appropriate ceremonies. It is in the form of a massive bronze statue of the 
"war governor" in a sitting position, and is the work of Olin L. Warner, a native of 
Connecticut. It stands in a conspicuous position in the corridor of the state house, and is the 
admiration of all visitors. 




OF COXXECriCUT. i86i-i8g4. 



{^^ r} \'ERILL, ROCiER, of Danbury, lieutenant-governor of the state during the 
^'-"^■y period of the War, was born in Salisbury, Litchfield County, August 14, 1809. 



He was the son of Nathaniel P. and Mary (Whittlesey) Averill, his father 
and also his grandfather, Samuel Averill, being natives of Washington, Conn., 
and both of them followed agricultural pursuits. His mother was the daughter 
of John Whittlesey of Litchfield County, and all of her si.v brothers attained social promi- 
nence and distinction. The father of Governor Averill departed this life in 1856, at the 
mature age of eighty-si.x, and his mother died in the same year, only one year younger. 

"One of seven children," says the Biographical Encyclopedia of Connecticut, "young 
Axcrill's primary education was received in the family circle and at the excellent common 
schools of his native town. Possessed with a thirst for knowledge, and endowed with unusual 
energy, he eagerly availed himself of two well-furnished libraries then in existence at Salisbury. 
The first was established before the Revolutionary War, and was an enduring monument to 
the sagacity and generosity of its founders. The other was founded by Caleb Bingham of 
Bo.ston, and was known as " Bingham's Library- for Youth," and was from time to time largely 
increased by donations of books from individuals, and by money voted by the town to purchase 
new books as they were needed. It is believed that this was the first youth's library in the 
state, and perhaps in the country. The future governor's taste for reading was greatly stimu- 
lated b>- the use of these volumes. They contributed in no small degree to furnish him with 
useful information in early life, and made him keenly appreciative of the pleasures and advan- 
tages of knowledge. After a term at the academy at Soiithington, he went to Bethany, Pa., 
and taught school in that place, and at the same time continued his studies preparaton- to 
entering college. Returning to his home after a year of teaching and study, he prosecuted 
his studies under the guidance of his brother, Chester Averill, who was then professor of 
chemistry^ and botany in Union College, Schenectady, N. Y. Entering the sophomore class 
of that institution in 1829, he graduated in 1832 with the highest honors of the college, and 
subsequently received his diploma. He again returned to Salisbury- and opened a select school, 
which proved to be the origin of a highly successful academy at that place. Among his pupils 
were several who have distinguished themselves in social, professional and official life, and 
whose justly acquired reputation has reflected honor upon the academy and its founders. 

Between the pursuits of the teacher and of the practical lawyer a natural alliance is 
manifest. The first often proves to be an admirable preparation for the second. Both aim 
to effect decisive action, through instruction and conviction. Superiority in the school augurs 
superiority in the fonnn. Mr. Averill prepared for the practice of law by diligent and thorough 
study in the ofhce of the late Chief Justice Church, who was then a resident of Salisbur)-. 
Admitted to the bar of Litchfield County in 1837, he began professional business in his native 
town, and commanded the respect and confidence of its citizens from the outset, ^'ariolls 
public offices of trust and responsibility were successfully and satisfactorily filled. In 1843 he 
was elected a member of the House of Representatives, in which he ser\'ed on several important 
connnittees, including that of claims, of which he was chairman. 

He removed to Danbun- in 1849, where he resided in full practice of the duties of his 
chosen profession until the time of his death. For the years 1851 and 1852, he served as 
judge of probate for the district of Danbury. In the spring of 1862, and annually thereafter 
for four .successive elections, he was elected lieutenant-govenior of the state on the same ticket 
with that excellent war governor, William A. Buckingham. Together they rendered most 
efficient service to the state and countrv until the close of the Rebellion. 



lo REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

At his own residence he was the first to raise the Stars and Stripes on the arrival of 
tlie tidings that the nation's flag had been subjected to insult and outrage at Fort Sumter. 
Throughout the whole of the momentous struggle which ensued he powerfully aided, by personal 
influence and patriotic liberality, in the gigantic work of preserving the Union. He presided 
at many public meetings, and by word and deed in various ways encouraged military enlist- 
ments into the service of the United States. He presented a beautiful standard of colors 
to the company of volunteers raised in Danbury, which assumed the name of the "Averill 
(iuards." In 1868 he was again elected to the Legislature, and served as chairman of the 
jtidiciary committee. 

Mr. Averill was a director in the Danbury National Bank, and of the Savings Bank of 
Danbur)' for man\- years. He has also acted as director and treasurer of the Danbury IMutual 
Fire Insurance Company since its organization, in 1S51. In educational, as in fiscal affairs 
of the town and state, he has always exhibited the deepest interest, and for thirteen years 
sustained the office and performed the duties of trustee of the State Normal School. 

Roger Averill was twice married. First to Maria D. White of Danbun,-. By this marriage 
he had four children : Arthur H., John C, Harriet E., and Minnie \V. His second wife was 
]\Iiss ilary A. Perry of Southport, Conn. 



OUGLAS, BENJAMIN, of Middletown, ex-lieutenant governor of Connecticut 
and president of the W. & B. Douglas Company, was born at Northford, 
Conn., April 3, 1816. 

The pedigree of the Douglas family can be traced backwards for more than 
two hundred years to the first American immigrant ancestor. Back again from 
that ancestor, this branch of the family in common with others has certain historical knowl- 
edge of its forefathers up to a period when authentic history' is confused with the mists 
of tradition. The Douglas family presents marked hereditary traits. Vigorous, persistent, 
warlike and masterful, always, especially bold and aggressive when belligerent in defense of 
their rights — loyal and faithful unto death in season of warfare ; in the times of peace their 
energies are devoted with equal force to overcoming the difficulties of politics, theology, 
law, medicine and mechanics. The Douglases of Middletown have achieved a preeminence 
in the field of hydraulics, that reminds the obser\-er of similar victorious achievements 
on other and more celebrated scenes of activities. 

Than the Douglas family, there is none more renowned in the romantic and thrilling 
histories of the Scottish people. The original arms of the Douglases in the days of 
chivalry were simply three silver stars on a blue field, a device which is held by heraldic 
antiquarians to indicate relationship with the Murrays. "The cognizance of Douglas 
blood," as Sir Walter Scott has expressed it, is given in Biirke^s Heraldry, and in ordinary 
language may be thus described : "Upon a field of silver, a man's heart, red, beneath 
an imperial crown, in its proper colors ; above the dividing line, upon a blue ground, three 
stars of silver." The pages of English and Scottish history bristle with the exploits and 
victories, the defeats of the Douglases. Since the arms of the British monarch have borne 
the triple device of the rose, the thistle and the shamrock, there has been no battle of note 
wherein the red cross of St. George has flamed in the \an, that some loyal and fiery 
Douglas has not spurred in its defence, and helped to bear it on to triumph. 





A-^^, 




OF COXXECTICUT, 1861-1894. 



II 



When the New World became accessible to the people of the Old, it could not well 
have been otherwise than that the Dou.jjlas blood and name should be represented in 
the influx of brave and conscientious settlers. William Douglas, son of Robert, of whom 
little is known, was born in Scotland in 1610. At the age of thirtv he emigrated to 
New England with his wife and two children. Tradition states that thev landed at 
Gloucester, and after a brief stay removed to Boston. He followed the cooper's trade, and 
in 1660, having purchased property in New London, he removed to that town, and received 
a grant of two farms in renuineration of his ser\-ices. One of these, inherited bv his 
son William, has remained in the family, in the direct line of his male descendants, for 
over two centuries. The other was inherited by his son Robert, and is still in possession 
of his direct male descendants. 

Deacon William Douglas was active and efficient in the ecclesiastical and civil affairs 
of the town, and was one of the commissaries of the army in King Philip's war. He also 
represented the town in the General Court for several .sessions. When he died, his pastor, 
the Rev. Simon Bradstreet, noted the event in his diary, and added the simple but touching 
remark: "He was an able Christian and this poor church will much want him." 
William, the youngest son of Deacon Douglas, succeeded his father in the diaconate of the 
church and held that honorable office until his death. Then followed two more Williams 
in the family line. John Douglas, son of the fourth William, was lieutenant-colonel 
of the Eighth Connecticut Regiment, the best equipped in the colonv, and was a 
man of great note in his day. Of the seven children of Col. John Douglas, William was 
the fifth. He ser\-ed as orderly sergeant in the company under Israel Putnam, and in the 
expedition that captured Quebec and brought the war to an end, in 1759. After that he 
engaged in the West India trade and amassed what was then looked upon as a small 
fortune. Entering into the war between the colonies and the mother countrv with all the 
courage and enthusiasm of a Douglas of earlier days, he first raised a companv and later a 
regiment. He contributed generously to the expense of enlisting and equipping his regiment, 
literally sacrificed life and fortune for his country, was a brave and faithful officer, and also 
a true patriot and Christian. His second son, a sixth William, was married Januarv 28, 
1797, to Sarah, daughter of Constant Kitland of Wallingford, by whom he had eight 
children, of whom Benjamin Douglas was the youngest. 

Said a .sketch of him: "The domestic training of young Douglas was such as ordinarilv 
falls to the lot of .scions of the substantial New England >eomanr}-. He worked on a 
fann throughout the months usually devoted to agriculture, and studied in the local schools 
in the winter. At the age of sixteen, he began to learn the trade of a machinist in 
Middletown, and in 1836 entered into the employment of Guild & Douglas, its specialty 
being the manufacture of iron pumps, the business having been established by his brother 
William in 1832. Three years later Benjamin and his brother purchased the entire interest 
in the business, formed a co-partnership and conducted their affairs under the style and 
title of W. iS: B. Douglas. Their manufactures for the next three years were those of 
an ordinary foundry- and machine shop. They supplied steam engines and other fabrica- 
tions to the neighboring factories. But in 1842 they invented the famous revolving stand 
cistern pump, and conceived the idea of making pumps their staple article of production and 
commerce. 

Since the reception of their first patent, perpetual improvements in structure and style 
have been effected, and over one hundred additional patents obtained to cover those 
developments and kindred constnictions. In Europe, also, their rights are protected by 
similar issues. Old prejudices in favor of ancient instruments they soon discovered could 



12 REPRESENTArilT. MEN 

only be o\-erco!ne by persistent energy, and Benjamin Donglas went from dealer to dealer with 
a pump under his arm, explained its superiorities and demonstrated the propriety of adopting 
it. Success came slowly, notwithstanding his determined efforts. Not more than three 
hundred pumps were sold in the first twelve months. After that the demand rose rapidly. 
Popular appreciation was fairly won and wide reputation and lucrative sales followed. 

In 1858 William Douglas, the senior partner, died, and the entire control of the business 
devolved upon the survivor. Up to that time, William had devoted himself principally to the 
manufacturing department, in which his experience and genius were of gre^ service, while 
Benjamin, with equal aptitude, had bestowed his forces mainly on the mercantile branch. 
The year following the concern was reorganized under a charter conferred b}- special act 
of the legislature, as a stock compan)^ which retains the old firm title of W. & B. Douglas, — 
of which Benjamin Douglas is president ; and his sons, John Vl. Douglas the secretar}- and 
treasurer, and Edward assistant secretan,-. Joseph W., a son of William Douglas, is 
superintendent of the manufacturing department. 

Continuous prosperity' is, and always has been, a characteristic of the company, and is 
in strict harmony with the mechanical skill and wise provision of general need that are 
essential factors of its success. Not less condiicive to the confidence universally felt in 
their work is the conscientious integrity invariably incorporate with it. Pumps, like the 
men that operate them, ha\"e consciences. The difference between the two is that pumps 
possess the consciences of their makers ; the users of pumps onh- possess their own. The 
little one-storied w'ooden shop, 60 x 40 feet, in which the manufacture commenced, and 
in which it also continues, is in marked contrast with the numerous massive I'oomy buildings 
that have since been added to it. The foundry is the largest in Connecticut, the furnace of 
the most approved construction, and the castings remarkable for their excellence. More 
than twelve hundred styles and sizes of pumping apparatus attest the hydraulic knowledge 
of the proprietors, and minister to all the varieties of civilized wants. Pumps for artesian 
and for ordinary wells; force pumps for boilers and for manufacturing needs; chain pumps, 
fire engines, garden engines, rotary pumps for the elevation of liquor ; air pumps, gas 
pumps, and many other kinds of pumps ; pumps made of brass, of iron, of copper, of 
composite metal, are supplied in quantities on the briefest notice. One of the most useful 
of them all is the improved tube or drive-well apparatus. Settlers in the western states 
and territories prize it supremely, while exploring expeditions and marching military 
detachments find it exceedingly useful. 

Wherever the hydraulic machines of W. & B. Douglas are exhibited they carr}- off 
the highest prizes for utility and worth. The first medals were awarded to them at the 
Paris Exposition in 1867 ; in 1873 they received the Grand Medal of Progress, the highest 
honor at Vienna ; in 1876 at Philadelphia, and again at Paris, they bore off the palm 
against all competitors. The demand for the Douglas hydraulic machines is co-extensive 
with modern civilization. Not only throughout the United States, but in the British 
Provinces, in South America, the Sandwich Islands, Australia, Europe, Asia and Africa, 
do they find a ready market, and hold their preeminence as prime favorites. 

Men of Mr. Douglas's stamp are invariably called upon to serve their fellow^ citizens 
in an official capacity. He has repeatedly represented his town in the General Assembly 
of the state; from 1849 to 1855 he was mayor of the cit\- of ^Nliddletown. In 1861 
he was chosen as one of the presidential electors of Connecticut, and cast his vote for 
Abraham Lincoln, and in 1861-62 he was lieutenant-governor of the state, serving with the 
famous war go\-ernor, W. A. Buckingham. During the trying scenes at the opening of the 
war he bore himself steadily and well, ably assisting the chief executive in the important work 





^^^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. ■ 13 

in which he was engaged. Mr. Douglas was president of the First National Bank of 
Middlctown from 1S64, the year of its organization, to 1S94 ; he is also president of the 
Farmers' and Mechanics' Savings Bank of Middletown, and is one of the trustees of the 
Wesleyan University, which is located in his own cil\-. 

Like nearly all his American ancestors, he is a member of the Congregational 
Church, with which he identified himself in early life, and is a generous supporter of 
the South Church in Middletown. .\ model business man, by his intelligence and 
enlightened super\'ision of the concern in all its details and relations, he has expanded 
its proportions to their present enormous size. Sagacious, experienced and resolute, but 
gentle withal and devoid of ostentation, he has been admirably qualified for his post, 
and also for judicious mini.stration to the welfare of the company's employes, and to 
the needs of society, whether local, national or universal. 

Benjamin Douglas was married April 3, 1838, to Mary Adeline, daughter of Rlias 
Parker of Middletown, and niece of Major-Gen. Joseph K. F. Mansfield, U. S. A., who 
was slain at the battle of Autietam, while in command of the Eleventh Corps. Of the 
six children who have been the fruit of this union, John Mansfield, the eldest son, 
Benjamin the fifth, and Edward the youngest, are connected in important managerial 
capacities with the W. & B. Douglas Company. 




j^liLLKS, GIDEON, of Hartford, was born in Glastonbury, Conn., July ist, 1802. 
He was secretary- of the navy during the administrations of both Presidents 
^''J Lincoln aud Johusf)n, holding the office for a longer time than any of his 
predecessors or successors. He coines of the primitive Puritan stock. Thomas 
Welles, the original settler, was in Hartford as early as 1636, was the first 
treasurer of the colony from 1639 to 1651, commissioner of the United Colonies iu 1649 and 
1654, and governor of Connecticut in 1655 and 165S. The estate in Glastonbury upon which 
Mr. Welles was born was purchased from the Indians by Governor Welles in 1640, and has 
never passed from the hands of his descendants. 

-After passing through the i)ul)lic schools, Mr. Welles attended the ICimscojxiI Academy at 
Cheshire, and completed his schola.stic education at Norwich University. He was at first 
inclined to enter the legal profession, and read law in the offices of Chief Justice Williams 
and Hon. William W. tCllsworth; but later circumstances decided him toward a political life, 
and he did not engage in general practice. In January, 1826, he became editor and one of 
the projirietors of the Hartford Times, and upon the disorganization of the old Republican 
and Federal parties, he was active in organizing the Democratic party in that state. The 
Times, under the auspices of Mr. Welles, was the first paper in New England to sustain 
General Jackson, aud after his election, as Connecticut was represented by his opponents in 
Congress, he was more than an\- man in the state President Jackson's confidential friend 
and advisor in the local affairs of the state. He contiiuied to edit the Ti>iies until the close 
of Jack.son's administration, and was a large contributor to its editorial columns until the 
repeal of the Missouri Compromise. 

Mr. Welles was elected to the Legislature from Glastonbury- in 1827, and was the 
youngest member of that body. He was repeatedly re-elected until 1835, when he was 
appointed b\- the Legislature comptroller of public accounts. In the politics, legislative 



14 REPRESENTATIl'E MEX 

action, and important measures of the state, for more than fort\- years, Mr. \\'elles bore a 
distinguished part, and the different measures and policy advocated by him ultimately became 
successful. As a counsellor and advisor, his party friends gave him their entire confidence, 
and the resiilts of his suggestions justified their selection. He was a strenuous opponent of 
special legislation, and took a prominent part in advocating the abolition of imprisonment 
for debt. He was also one of the advocates of low and uniform rates of postage, and of 
many other reforms now universally conceded as wi.se. 

Upon the election of Judge Niles (then postmaster of Hartford), to the Senate in 1S36, 
Mr. Welles was appointed to succeed him, the Hartford post oflfice being one of the most 
important distributing offices in the couutr\-, making the distribution of mails for all New 
England. He remained in this position until the change of administration in 1841, when 
he was removed. In 1842 he was elected comptroller by the people, the Constitution having 
been changed, making the office elective, and was re-elected the following years. In 1846, 
Mr. Polk, without solicitation and very unexpectedly, appointed Mr. Welles chief of the 
bureau of provisions and clothing of the Navy Department, a position which he retained 
until the summer of 1849. 

The Missouri Compromise, followed by the Kansas aggressions, led to new party organiza- 
tions ; the Republican party came into existence, and Mr. Welles was early active and promi- 
nent in organizing it. In Connecticut, the Hartford Evc?iuig Press was started to advocate 
its views, and he became one of its principal contributors. In the spring of 1856 he was 
the candidate of the party for governor, but the movement failed of success. The Republican 
Convention in Philadel})hia in the same year appointed him a member of the National 
Connuittee, and for eight years he was one of its executive members. He was also chairman 
of the Connecticut delegation to the convention at Chicago which nominated l\Ir. Lincoln 
for the presidency-. 

When Mr. Lincoln took the presidential chair in 1S61, Mr. Welles was invited to a seat 
in the cabinet as Secretary of the Navy. The breaking out of the Rebellion soon made 
evident that the position was one of great responsibility, and the selection proved to be an 
eminentlv wise one. Mr. Welles took the ground in the outset that the CTOvernment ought 
not to declare a blockade, but by proclamation close our ports to foreign commerce. If the 
blockade was declared, it proclaimed to the world that an independent power was being 
dealt with, and the rules and practice of international law must be observed. If the ports 
were closed, an insurrection on the part of the southern states only was admitted, which 
was a domestic affair, bringing the violators under our nninicipal laws, to be treated 
according to the decision of our own courts. The matter was warmly discussed in the 
cabinet, and a blockade was finally declared. Had the views advanced by ]Mr. W'elles 
prevailed, a large part of the cost of maintaining the fleet necessary to patrol our coast, 
in accordance with the provisions of international law, would have been saved. As the 
war progressed, l\Ir. Lincoln saw the mistake and regretted the decision made. 

It will be impossible to detail or follow to any extent the successive steps which led 
to the creation of a naval force, whose operations during the war shed a new lustre upon 
the na\al liiston,- of our country ; but to be able to estimate properly the great executive 
ability and remarkable foresight of the secretary, certain points should be touched upon. 
When Mr. Welles assumed charge of the navy department, in 1861, the total force of the 
navy in commission, including tenders and stoi^e ships, was 42 vessels, carrying 555 guns, 
and having a complement of 7,600 men. At the commencement of the session of Congress 
in December, 1861, ^Nlr. Welles was able to report that when the vessels repairing, building 
and purchased were ready for use, there would be in the service 264 vessels, carrying 2,557 



OF CONXECTICi'T, 1861-18(^4. 15 

guns, and that o\er 200 of these vessels were then in commission, the number of the 
seamen being not less than 22,000. One year later, December, 1S62, there were 427 vessels, 
carrying 3,268 guns, and 28,000 seamen ; December, 1863, 588 vessels, carrying 4,443 guns, 
and 34,000 seamen; and in I)eceml)er, 1864, there were 671 vessels, carrying 4,610 guns and 
45,000 seamen. Many of these \essels, built expressly for the service, were of the most 
modern construction, and of a powerful and effective character. No such record has ever 
been shown by any other maritime power. It not only tested the energy of the directino- 
autlioril)-, but in a large measure the resources (jf tlie country. 

Not less creditable were the measures adopted b)- Mr. Welles for the prompt creation 
of a large force of iron-clad vessels. Impatient of delay, in view of the condition of the 
country and what an iron-clad force might accomplish, on the 3d of Februarv, 1S62, he 
addressed a letter to the naval committee of the Senate, urging immediate action upon the 
Hou.se bill which he had worked through in the fall of 1861. The Senate was stimulated to 
action b\- this, and a bill authorizing the construction of twenty iron-clad vessels was approved 
February 13th. The memorable engagement between the "Monitor" and the " Merrimac " 
took place on the 7th of March following, and immediately the public pulse in all sections 
of the country beat high for armored ships. But the foresight of Mr. Welles had anticipated 
the call of the people, and the work of constructing an iron-clad navy had alreadv been 
commenced — a navy which did honor to the inventive genius of the countr\-, and reflected 
the highest credit upon the Secretary-, under whose guidance and fostering care this great 
initiation in a new naval policy was so successfully carried out. The steps taken by Mr. 
Welles ill the introduction of turretted iron-clad vessels and heavy ordnance, both of which 
are the outcome of our civil war, it is no exaggeration to say, have revolutionized the 
preparations for naval warfare throughout the world. 

The first step in what subsequently became the policy of the government was inaugurated 
by Mr. Welles as Secretary of the Nav>'. To return fugitive slaves to tlieir masters, he .said, 
"would violate every principle of humanity, and would be impolitic as well as cruel." He 
therefore enlisted them for service, giving them reasonable compensation, as earlv as 
September, 1861. 

Mr. Welles held the office of Secretary of the Navy during the entire period of President 
Lincoln's administration, and that of his successor. President Johnson, two full terms, and 
longer than any of his predecessors. When differences arose relative to the reconstruction 
measures, Mr. Welles resisted the idea that the states lately in rebellion should be considered 
out of the Union, or deprived of their constitutional rights, and claimed that many of the 
measures adopted by congress with reference to them were quite as repugnant and destructi\e 
to our republican system as the attempt of a state to withdraw or secede. He adhered to his 
lifelong principles, and much disturbance would have been avoided had his voice prevailed. 

Soon after retiring from the navy department, Mr. Welles purchased the residence in 
Charter Oak Place in Hartford, where he continued to reside. His leisure moments were, to 
some extent, employed in essays and compiling accounts of important events connected with 
the rebellion, and the administration of which he was a member, most of which were published 
ill the Galaxy or At/antic Monllily. During his residence at Washington, Mr. Welles kept 
a diary of important and inside occurrences, notabl\- the discussions at cabinet meetings and 
the opinions of distinguished men upon public events, as gathered in personal interviews. 
This record enabled him authoritati\ely to correct many statements put forth as history, 
placing important events in their true light, and giving to individuals their proper positions. 
His last articles passing through the press at the time of his death, were the series in the 
Atlantic Monthly^ defending Mr. Lincoln, whom he greatly admired, from charges made by 
Gen. Dick Tavlor in an article in the Xorth American Review. 



i6 REPRESENTATUE MEN 

" For fifty years Mr. Welles was a constant and prolific political writer, and his essays, 
habitually bringing to the test of fixed principles the policy of successive administrations, 
largely contribiited to give interest to several leading journals and character to the politics 
of the countr)-. Among the papers to which he was a large contributor, besides those of 
his own state, the Globe and the Union at Washington, and the Evening Post at New York, 
were conspicuous. As a writer he was fresh, clear and forcible, and these qualities were 
prominent in his dispatches as secretarv- of the navy. He was in constant correspondence 
with the state department upon matters growing out of the blockade, and some of his 
dispatches are models of vigorous composition. Charles Sumner, who read many of them, 
said that he considered him the strongest writer in the cabinet. Mr. Welles was not a 
pxiblic speaker, and rarely indulged in extemporaneous remarks, his newspaper life had 
educated him to use the pen with great facility and power, and herein was his strength, 
rather than the rostrum." 

The Legislature of the State of Connecticut was in session at the time of the death 
of Mr. Welles, and as one of the state's most eminent citizens, touching and appropriate 
resohitions of respect were passed. In speaking upon the resolutions, Mr. Andrews (who 
was later governor of the state, and afterwards chief justice), gave a resume of Mr. 
Welles's life, closing as follows: " The political questions which followed the close of the 
Mexican War, and the agitation consequent therefrom, resulted in the fonnation of a party 
opposed to the extension of slavery-. With this policy ;\Ir. Welles early identified himself, 
and was prominent in its counsels, and when, in i860, that party obtained control of the 
national administration he was invited to a seat in the cabinet of President Lincoln. The 
events of that administration, and the part which Mr. Welles took, his efforts throughout the 
war, and his life since, are too recent to need mention. It is well known that Mr. Lincoln 
had a ver}- great personal fondness for Mr. Welles, that he enjoyed his society, and trusted in 
his counsel. All the friends of ]\Ir. Lincoln aver with grateful distinctness the ability and 
readiness with which Mr. Welles sprang to his defence from the breath of unjust comparison. 
All detractors, whether high or low, have learned, to their humiliating discomfiture, that so 
long as Gideon Welles was alive, they could not la}- their unhallowed touch upon the least 
of the laurels that justly belong to the brow of the martyred president." 

Other speakers followed in the same strain, and the legislature adjourned out of respect 
to Mr. Welles's memor\-. It was the last session which was to be held in the old state house, 
where Mr. Welles's influence had often been felt in the past, and the occasion was one of the 
kind long to be remembered. 

Gideon Welles was married June 16, 1835, to Mary Jane, daughter of Elias W. Hale, 
Esq., a distinguished lawyer of Central Pennsylvania. Mrs. Welles, with three sons, Edgar T., 
Thomas G., and John A., all of Hartford, sun,-ived him. 

In private circles he was social to a remarkable degree, and was never happier than 
when surrounded by his family and friends. His long newspaper and public life gave him 
unusual opportunities for becoming intimately acquainted with prominent men and the inside 
history of events extending back for more than half a century, and he delighted to impart his 
impressions to others. No one could spend an hour with him without being entertained 
and instructed. He was of marked simplicity of character, remarkably free from ostentation 
and show, and always just what he appeared to be. He was idolized by his family and 
respected by all, and passed away universally honored and lamented. 




•JzZJ3-Jt^ 



(f^ Q'ltcr^^ 



OF COXXECTICrr, iS6i-iSij4. 17 







fORRIS, LUZON BURRITT, of New Haven, governor of Connecticut, was born 
in Newtown, in that state, April 16, 1827. 

The first Morris who came to Connecticut arrived witli llic New Haven 
colon)-, and Morris Cove, now a jiart of the city of New Haven, derived its 
title from this progenitor of the family. It is known that a descendant of the 
first settler transferred his residence to Fairfield, but when the town was destroyed by the 
British anny the records were burned, and the surname of this member of the family was 
lost. Daniel Morris moved from Fairfield to Newtown, and thron.gh his son Daniel, Jr. , the 
line comes down to Eli Gould Morris. The latter married I^ydia Bennett, and became the 
father of the Governor. 

His early education was limited, and young Morris's life at the outset was encompassed 
with difficulties from which a man of less spirit and determination would have shrunk in 
despair. The means for defraying his expenses through college were earned at a black- 
smith's forge in Roxbury, and in an edge tool factory at Seymour, and the diploma which 
has been awarded him b\- the great university, of which he has ever been a loyal son, was 
merited in the highest degree. He is remembered as an efficient debater in the halls of old 
Linonia, and is a popular member of the D. K. E. Junior and Skull and Bones Senior 
societies. Mr. Morris made his entn,- into the political arena at a very youthful age. 
Within a year after his graduation from Yale College in 1854, he was elected a member of 
the State Legislature for the town of Seymour. The impression he made was so favorable 
that he was returned in 1856. Having been appointed judge of probate, he transferred his 
residence to New Haven in 1857. Mr. Morris was six times elected judge of probate for 
the district of New Haven, and his wide experience gained here caused him to be made 
chairman of the commissioners appointed by the legislature to revise the probate laws of 
Connecticut. 

In 1870 he represented New Haven in the State Legislature, ser\-ing on the committee 
on railroads as the chairman. 1874 found him in the State Senate, of which, besides being 
chairman of the judiciary committee, he was president pro (cm. In the Centennial year he 
represented his adopted city in the House, and again in 18S0 and iSSi. At the two last 
named sessions he took an active part in the di.scussions in the legislature about the 
boundary line between Connecticut and New York, and again ser\-ed on the judiciary 
committee, and as chairman of the committee on incorporations. 

Governor Morris is, and has been for a quarter of a century, a distinguished member of 
the New Haven County Bar. By reason of his experience, drawn from his long ser\ice as 
judge of probate, his practice has been largely connected with the settlement of estates. 

Perhaps the reputation gained in this way may have been the reason of Mr. Daniel 
Hand's confidence in his judgment and integrity. The story deserves to be told in fuller 
detail than the .scope of this work will allow. Mr. Hand was a northern man and was 
successfully engaged in business in the South at the time of the breaking out of the war, 
his partner being Mr. George W. Williams, a man of southern birth. His sympathies were 
with the cause of the Union, and Mr. Hand naturally wished to be among his friends. 
The property of northern men was being confiscated right and left, and how to save both 
his life and his accumulated wealth was a puzzling question. He solved it by giving his 
property outright to his partner, leaving it entirely to his sense of honor for a settlement 
after the close of hostilities. Some years after the war was over, he sought out Governor 
Morris and desired him to act as his counsel in the matter, and finally turned everything 
into his hands. An accounting was made with Mr. Williams, Mr. Hand .simply taking 



1 8 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

what he chose to give. To his great credit be it said, that he was a thoroughly honest 
man, and in all the 3'ears which had elapsed he had continued the business and made 
profitable investments on the basis that he and Mr. Hand were equal partners. In different 
payments Governor Morris recei\-ed from Mr. Williams about $648,000, which he invested 
for Mr. Hand until the amount exceeded $1,000,000, when Mr. Hand made his gift to the 
American Missionary A.ssociation. Mr. Hand's magnificent gift of $1,000,000 to be used for 
the education of the colored people in the South, is still a pleasant memory among all 
who are interested in the welfare of that downtrodden race. The details of the deed of 
o-ift and of financial arrangements were made by Governor IMorris, and it is estimated that 
when the final settlement of the estate is brought about, the fund mentioned will receive 
in the neighborhood of $400,000 more. That everything has been managed to the great 
satisfaction of Mr. Hand, it is unnecessary- to state, and it is equally apparent that a man 
who could handle the disposition of a property of the magnitude of that described, must 
be a financier of no mean ability. 

A jxirtion of his time has been devoted to financial matters ; and, had he chosen, he 
could have gained a name equally honored in the business world as that he has secured 
amid the legal lights of the state. He has been vice-president and president of the 
Connecticut Savings Bank of New Ha\en for more than twent\- years. 

Mr. :\Iorris's work in the Legislature had brought him to the notice of the leaders of 
his part)-, and by the same means he had gained an extended acquaintance throughout 
the state. In 1888 he was placed in the field as the candidate of the Democratic party 
for governor. At the election he received a pluralit>- of the votes cast, but the laws of the 
state require a majority of votes to elect, and as the Legislature was Republican the 
gubernatorial prize was bestowed upon his competitor. At the next state election he was 
again the leader of his party in the battle of ballots. On the face of the returns he 
recei\-ed a majority of the votes cast, but was restrained from assuming the duties of his 
office by technicalities, the Republican incumbent holding over for the term of two years. 
In 1892, for the third time, he was placed in nomination for the governorship, and when 
the votes were counted, it was found that he had received a majority over which there 
could be no quibble, being almost an even thousand votes. He was formalh- inaugurated at 
the capitol Januar\-, 1893, and is now filling his exalted station with honor to himself and 
to the credit of the .state. In addressing the members of the Legislature for the first 
time, among other excellent points. Governor Morris .said : 

111 a state that has existed for so many years and has had so many General Assemblies to make its 
laws, it would seem at first thought that its laws must be nearly perfect, and that very little legislation 
remained to be done. But when we consider the great changes that have taken place during the present 
century in the methods of doing business, the manner of travel, the occupations of the people, and their ways 
of living, we find the need for new legislation, for new laws and for amendments of the old laws, which in 
their day were adapted to the wants of the people, but which, by reason of the great changes which have 
taken place, have become either obsolete or unsuitable for the present time. In the early part of this century 
the occupations of the people of Connecticut were principally agricultural. Whatever manufacturing was done 
was for local needs. Steam as a motive power was undeveloped ; electricity as a means of communication was 
unknown. So far as public conveyances were concerned, sailing vessels upon the navigable waters and stage 
coaches upon the highways answered the purposes of the people. 

But with the introduction of steam and electricity the methods and occupations of the people have greatly 
changed. Instead of being an agricultural people, the inhabitants of the state have become engaged largely in 
manufacturing. Formerly business was conducted for the most part by individuals or by small partnerships, 
and the market for produce and goods manufactured was strictly a home market. Now business is done by large 
corporations, and the market for goods manufactured has extended over the world. These great changes in 
the manner of doing business have called for alterations in our laws, and still call for further legislation. It 
becomes an important duty for you to consider these changes and to so legislate as to meet the present 
requirements of the people. 



J 




C^^^i> 



-7^ 



a 



^r^-^ 




OF CONNECTICUT, JS6/-1894. 19 

Speakiiijj of two of his appoiiitnients, llic Hartford Couranl, a paper the opposite of 
fricndlv to (Toxcnior Morris and liis part\', said: 

If all Governor Morris's appoiiitnients come up to the level of the two supreme court justices named last 
week, it will be well. Ju(l,ije I'enn's renoniination was confidently expected and desired in hotli parties. He 
is an old soldier, a Kootl lawyer, and a very popular gentleman. Judge Baldwin is one of the most scholarly 
lawyers of the state or of New England. He is a strong lawyer, clear-headed, widely read, courageous, well 
grounded in the law. and he will prove a credit to the Connecticut bench. Two of his familj- have sat there 
with honor to themselves and advantage to the commonwealth. 

As the repre.sentative of the state on various public eveuts, ('ro\cruor Morris lias per- 
formed all the functions of the office with di<^nit\- and credit to himself. At Connecticut 
Day at the World's Fair, and at the dedication of the battle monument at Trenton, his 
remarks were in keepini^ with and fully up to the requirements of the occasion. 

There is no better exemplification of the results attainable in New England bv men of 
tijcnius and perseverance than can be found in (Governor Morris's career. Pushino; his wav 
throu^jh colleo;e by hard work, he has reached his present high rank in the same manner. 
In the maturer years of his life he has been one of the .state's most trusted coun.sellors. 
He has deserved and received the utmost honor and respect in whatever position he has 
taken as a citizen. Look at him as a zealous seeker after knowledge in his \()uth, as a 
law\cr making his influence felt in a city where good lawyers are not a raritv, as the 
president of a solid savings bank, as a standard Ijearer of a great political party, and now 
as the occupant of the gubernatorial chair of the state, his career is one in which he, and 
the citizens of the state as well, have just cau.se for pride. 

Luzon B. Morris was married June 15, 1856, to £;ugenia L., daughter of Lucius and 
Laura Tuttle of Seymour. They now have an interesting family of six children, three sons 
and three daughters, each of the latter being a graduate of Vassar College. Robert Tuttle 
is a practising surgeon in New York ; Charles Crould is in Vale College, and Rav is now 
preparing for that institution. ^Lary is now Mrs. Charles ^L Pratt of Brooklvn, N. Y., 
Helen is the wife of Prof. Arthur P>. Hadley, and Emily is still under the paternal roof. 

The brief sketch of Governor Morris in the University Magazine concludes with the 
following words: "His personal character and honorable record entitle him to the high 
esteem with which he is regarded by his associates in public service, and fellow citizens. 
The wave of Democracy which secured his election probably breaks the dead lock in the 
State Legislature which has harassed the state for nearly four years. The governor of any 
one of the leading states is, of course, a possible president, but in the rise of Governor 
Morris there is nuich that is similar to Mr. Cleveland's career of uninterrupted success." 



^ADY, KRNEST, of Hartford, lieutenant-governor of Connecticut, and secretary 
, r '5--; 3nd treasurer of The Pratt & Cady Company, was born Sept. 6, 1842, in 




Stafford, Conn. 

From Nicholas Cady, who is known to have been a resident of Water- 
town, Mass., in 1645, the line comes down in direct succession. Prior to 
the Revolution (the exact year is uncertain) the family transferred their home to 
Connecticut. Several members of the family ser\'ed as soldiers during the Revolutionary 
War, among them being Isaac Cady. Unfortunately he contracted camp fever, which 
was prevalent where he was stationed, and died in 1777. His .son, Garner Cady, was 
for many years a member of the General As.sembly, representing his native town of Stafford. 



20 REPRESENTATU^E MEN 

He was always a staunch Damocrat, and his candidacy was a standing by-word with his 
party. When the day for the nomination came around, and the question arose who was«_ 
to be the candidate, if there was any doubt about the election, the magnates of the 
party would always fall back on him, "For," said they, "we can elect Squire Garner 
sure." He was honored and trusted by men of all political parties and lived to the age 
of more than fourscore and ten years. Garner Cady, Jr., father of the lieutenant-governor, 
was born in 1805, and died in 1852 at the age of forty-seven, in the very prime of 
his manhood, his death being caused by a runaway team. He married Emily, youngest 
of the five children of Capt. John Taylor Greene, of Stafford. Six children were born 
to them, two boys and four girls, Ernest being next to the eldest. On the maternal side, 
the line comes from sturdy English stock, and the blending of the two strains finds 
its exemplification in the subject of this .sketch. 

Young Cady's education was limited both in its range and in its extent. During 
the summer months he worked on the farm or in the village factor)-, and during the 
winter season he attended the public schools until he reached his sixteenth year, when 
he had the privilege of one short term at Metcalf's Highland Academy, Worcester, Mass. 
This ended his school days, as he was called home for lack of funds to continue longer. 
He then commenced his business life as a clerk in a general store at Stafford, Conn., and 
with the exception of the time spent in the service of his country, his residence in Stafford 
lasted for eleven years. In the fall of 1864, Mr. Cady formed a partnership with R. S. 
Beebe under the title of Beebe & Cady, and after five years of successful business the 
connection expired by limitation. At this time he took an extended tour through the 
western states, with the idea of locating in some enterprising town. After an absence of 
four months, ditring which he passed through twent\--two states, and a part of Canada, 
learning much about our glorious country, he became satisfied that with the same knowledge 
and push a person is better off in New England than in the west or south. 

In October, 187 1, IMr. Cady made his second business venture, this time as proprietor 
of the corporation store of the Norwich Woolen Mills, Norwich, Conn., a connection which 
lasted five years and proved a marked pecuniary success. Receiving a handsome offer in 
1877, he sold out his interest, and transferred his home to Hartford, where he has since 
remained. Turning his attention to the field of mechanics, in July, 1878, in connection 
with Messrs. R. N. and F. A. Pratt, he organized the Steam Boiler Appliance Company, with 
a capital of $50,000. Their specialties were manufactured for them by The Pratt & W'hitney 
Company, in whose ofifice the}- had desk room, and the enterprise was a success from the 
start. Four years later, the business was organized under a special charter as The Pratt & 
Cady Company, and the capital increased to $75,000. The manufacturing operations were 
transferred to Union Place, where they had 1,600 feet of floor space and gave employment to 
thirteen men. The company outgrew its limited quarters at the end of one year, and in 
1883 they erected their first building on their present location. It was 40 x 140 feet, with 
ell 30 X 60 feet, for brass foundry and boiler room, and at this time the capital was increased 
again to $100,000. 1885 saw the addition of a two-stor}- building, 180 x 40 feet, and the 
foundr}' capacity enlarged 40 x 90 feet, and the number of the furnaces increased from twelve 
to thirty. Two years later, the constantly growing business demanded another building almost 
the size of the one just mentioned, and better office facilities were also included in this 
change. In 1887, the company purchased the Johns-Pratt property in the rear of their own 
buildings, which added about 6,000 square feet to their floor space. Since then they have 
erected an iron foundr}-, 75 x 230 feet of brick and iron, which is without doubt the finest 
in New England. It is fitted with a ten ton travelling crane, and three cupolas, and has a 



OF COXXECTICUT, 1S61-1S94. 



21 



capacity of thirty tons of iron per day. A pattern shop and storage room 30 x 190, with 
pattern room above, is one of the later improvements. In 1893, all the buildings which 
had previously been one story were increased to two, thereby adding greatly to the 
appearance of the plant, as well as to its available working space. From thirteen men in 
1882, they have increased to an average of over three hundred men, and the diminutive floor 
room of 1,600 feet has grown to about 76,000 feet. The capital stock has gradually 
swelled in size from $50,000 to $300,000, and their charter allows of a still further increase. 
On the basis of a par value of $100.00, their stock has sold as high as $300.00 per share. 
Hartford is a city of magnificent successes in manufacturing establishments, but the bare 
enumeration of facts and figures regarding it will abundantly pro\e that The Pratt & Cady 
Company is entitled to a leading place in the front rank. To all the success attained in 
their special field, and to the solving of all the financial problems which must be met before 
such success can be reached, Lieutenant-Governor Cady has contributed his full share, 
having held the office of secretary- and treasurer of this company from its organization. 

Amid his other duties, he has found time to devote to the management and develop- 
ment of solid financial institutions. He is president of the Cooperative Building Bank Com- 
pany, and is a director in the Society for Savings which has deposits amounting to more 
than $15,000,000, and holds the same position in the Hartford Board of Trade, an organi- 
zation in which he takes a deep interest. He is also first vice-president of the Cooperative 
Savings Society of Connecticut, and is a member of the board of water commissioners of 
Hartford. By virtue of his office as lieutenant-governor, he is a member of the state -board 
of education, and the Yale College corporation council, and is a director in several other 
corporations in the city. 

Up to this time Mr. Cady had never held political office of any kind, and had always 
avoided preferment in that way ; consequently the surprise of his life was in store for him. 
In the fall of 1892 his name had not been mentioned even incidentally in connection 
with the nomination for lieutenant-governor, but his friends brought his name forward 
at the Hartford County caucus of the Democratic party in Hartford, and he was given 
a unanimous vote. On the assembling of the state convention, this vote was repeated, 
and he was assigned to the second place on the ticket with Hon. Luzon B. Morris. 
The nomination of the party was ratified by the citizens of the state, and he was duly 
inaugurated as lieutenant-governor in January, 1893, and is now filling the office with 
dignity, and with credit to himself and the state. He received a clear majority over all, 
and a majority of 6,101 over his competitor. Col. Frank W. Clieney, who was one of the 
most popular men in the Republican party. As president of the Senate, Lieutenant- 
Governor Cady occupied a delicate position, there being a tie between the representatives 
of the two political parties, yet so honestly did he fulfil the requirements of the place 
that his decisions were never appealed from. Though the session of 1893 was the 
longest on record, he was never absent even once, and always called the meetings of the 
Senate to order. It was his privilege as acting go\ernor in the absence of Governor Morris 
to sign the bill increasing the capital stock of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad 
to $100,000,000, being for the largest amount a bill was ever pa.ssed in New England, and 
one of the largest in the United States. By his assiduity in fitting himself for an office 
for which he had no previous training, and by the accuracy with which he has filled it, he 
has won warm encomiums from men of all political parties. 

Lieutenant-Governor Cady had an honorable experience in the War of the Rebellion. 
Having enlisted as a landsman in the United States Navy, he was assigned to the gunboat 
" Westfield," Commander W. R. Renshaw, under Commodore Farragut, in the Western 



22 REPRESENTATIVE MEN. 

Gulf blockading squadron. Though covering the entire territory from Pensacola, Florida, 
to the Rio Grande River, for some months they were engaged in blockading the port 
of Galveston, Texas. In the closing days of 1862, one of the most disgraceful affairs of the 
war took place, and Governor Cady was in a position to know the inside particulars. 
Commander Renshaw had a party of Rebel officers on board the " Westfield," entertaining 
them for some unaccountable reason, and when the " Hatteras " arrived, bringing part of the 
42d Massachusetts regiment, he told its colonel on reporting to return to the "Hatteras" 
and report the following morning, and then resumed the entertainment of his singular 
guests. Lack of space prevents the insertion of the detailed story; but on the following 
morning, Jan. i, 1863, the fleet was surprised and attacked by the Confederate fleet, which 
had made its way down from Houston in the night. They first captured the " Harriet 
Lane," and then demanded the surrender of the "Westfield," which had become grounded 
on a bar. After consultation, Commander Renshaw decided to abandon and blow up his 
ship to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy, as it was full of valuable stores. 
The men were loaded into the small boats and sent off, a train was laid to the magazines 

of which there were two — intended to last thirty minutes; but, by some error, it went 

off in half that time, as the fourteen officers were standing on the gang^vay ready to 
embark. Nothing was ever found of them which could be identified. Governor Cady was 
the last man to leave the ill-fated "Westfield," and he barely succeeded in boarding the 
last boat as it shoved off. This explosion ended the engagement with a terrible loss of life 
and property to the Union cause, and a great victory for the Confederates. :\Iany of the 
Massachusetts men who had landed on the dock unprotected were killed, and the remainder 
taken prisoners. All of the " Westfield's " men were picked up by the "Hatteras" and 
carried to New Orleans. They were at once ordered to return to Galveston in the " Hatteras," 
and were transferred to the United States sloop of war, "Brooklyn," Commander W. G. Bell. 
Soon after their arrival a blockade runner was seen in the distance and the "Hatteras" 
was ordered to reconnoitre. The stranger proved to be the steamer known as the " 290," 
Commander Raphael Senimes, and sending a heavy shot through the " Hatteras," sent it 
to the bottom of the ocean, but the crew were saved. The "290" landed its prisoners on the 
island of Cuba, and was seen no more. Had the gunboat " Oasco," which was fully eqiral 
to the "290" in speed and battery, been sent out instead of the transport, very different 
results would have en.sued. 

During their stay on blockade, numerous prizes were captured which were condemned 
and sold, and Governor Cady had a share in several engagements, the second in importance 
being at Senaca City. After routing the rebels and nearly destroying the town, the fleet 
returned to Gah'eston. In July, 1863, Commander Bell received orders to report at the 
Brooklyn Navy Yard. This was glad news for all on board. Two or three stops were made, 
but on the last day of August, 1863, the destination was reached in safety. Most of the men 
were paid off and received their discharge papers. Governor Cady being among the number. 
Not having au)' regular emplo\-ment, he used the money earned during his service and secured 
a three months' term at Eastman's Business College, Poughkeepsie, and the time and money 
were among the best investments of his life. 

Ernest Cady was married Jan. 16, 1871, to Ellen E., daughter of Ex-Lieutenant Governor 
Hyde and sister of Major E. Henry Hyde of the Governor's Foot Guard. He has two .sons, 
Erne-st H. Cady, who is a student at Yale Sheffield Scientific School, and Charies W. Cady, 
a student at the Hartford High School. 




^ 



'-^^^C-C^ 



OF CONNECTICUT. iS6,-iSg4. 23 



1 



JROOKS, IvSAAC WATTS, of Torrington, speaker of the Connecticut House of 
l^jjjvj^'^i Representatives, was born in Goshen, Litchfield County, Nov. 8, 1838. 

Mr. Brooks comes of a good old Connecticut family, who for several genera- 
tions past lia\e occupied the old farm and homestead in the south part of Goshen. 
His great-grandfather, Joseph, son of Charles and Mehitable (Norton) Brooks, 
was born in Durham, Conn., about 1753, and married Amanda, daughter of Cyprian Collins. 
His son Harvey was ])orn in 1779, and died in 1873, at the ripe old age of ninety-three. 
Watts H., son of Harvey and Polly (Taylor) Brooks, married Mary, daughter of John 
Wadhams, Jr., and was the father of the subject of this sketch. He was a respected and 
influential citizen, and represented the town at several sessions of the legislature. Mr. Brooks 
was the second of four children, the eldest of whom, John W., was for three years insurance 
commissioner of the state, and later president of the Orient Fire Insurance Company. Bcjth 
brothers attended Goshen Academy, and I\Ir. Brooks afterwards continued his studies at Brown 
Universit}-, from which, however, he did not graduate, owing to ill health ; but later received 
from the University the degree of Master of Arts. 

In i860 he engaged in the mercantile business in his native town with his brother. This 
connection lasted until 1871, and the following year he removed to Torrington where he has 
since made his home. For ten years prior to his removal from Goshen he sen-ed as town 
clerk, being regularly elected by the Republican party. \\'ith his brother, he formed the 
banking firm of Brooks Brothers in 1872. They have supplied the needed banking facilities 
for the merchants and manufacturers of Torrington so fully, that no other bank has been 
organized in the town, and it is a direct compliment to their integrity and fair dealing that 
such has been the case. 

Without e\er being a .seeker after office, more positions of trust have been offered to 
Mr. Brooks than his time would allow him to accept. He has been treasurer of Torrington 
since 1871, and also of the Borough since it was organized, was judge of the probate court 
for four years, and for more than a score of years he has been treasurer of the Torrington 
Savings Bank. He was one of a committee of three to look into the feasibility of supphing 
water to the town, and on the fonnation of the water company in 1878 was cho.sen president, 
and is now filling that office. The water works proved of immense benefit to the town, as well 
as a pecuniar}- success to the stockholders. 

In 1886 Mr. Brooks was appointed one of the receivers of the Charter Oak Life Insurance 
Company of Hartford, by Judge Pardee of the supreme court, and has devoted no small share 
of his time during the past eight years to settling the affairs of that institution. Mr. E. A. 
Stedman has been associated with him, and their labors are now drawing to a close. He is 
also a director of the i'lueuix Mutual Life Insurance Company of Hartford. 

Mr. Brooks has had his share of honors at the state capitol. In 1884 he ser\-ed as a 
member of the legislature from Torrington, and was appointed to the important place of 
chairman of the committee on finance. In the same year he was appointed by Governor 
Waller a member of a tax commission which recommended many changes in the laws relating 
to taxation, subsequently adopted by the legislature. He was again elected to the state 
legislature in 1892, this time by a majority of over 400. Enthusiastic friends brought forward 
his name as a candidate for speaker, and in the Republican caucus he was nominated by a 
large majority, on the first ballot. At the election in the House he polled the full Republican 
strength, receiving 133 votes to 105 for his Democratic competitor. The record shows that, 
notwithstanding the innnense amount of labor incident to the requirements of his position, he 



24 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

was present at every session of the House. He was eminently fair in his decisions, and in 

the make-up of committees. The Waicrbury Republican voiced this sentiment most fittingly 

in the following paragraph : 

We are sure that the Democratic as well as the Republican members of the House of Representatives will 
cordially agree with us in saying that Speaker Isaac W. Brooks has proved himself to be.a most efficient presiding 
officer, and that he amply justified the high expectations of his friends. Dignity and fairness, two qualities which 
are indispensable to a successful speaker, he possessed in an eminent degree. When the gavel is in his hand he 
belongs to no political party, but is the Speaker of the entire House ; and consequently he has commanded the 
complete respect of the 251 representatives over whom he presides. It must, indeed, be confessed that he is 
utterly deficient in that theatrical bluster and muscular assertiveness which some speakers have apparently 
thought desirable for the discharge of the high responsibilities of the office, but in quiet efficiency it would be 
difficult to find a presiding officer superior to the gentleman from Torrington. 

In 1880 Mr. Brooks made quite an extensive ' European tour, and, after the close of the 
session of 1893, he took a second shorter trip. 

A gentleman of superior business capacity, it will be seen that Mr. Brooks has been 
eminently successful in the management of financial interests. Besides being the head of a 
successful banking firm, he holds three treasurenships, and yet, owing to his admirable system, 
his books are models of clearness, while during more than a third of the time he has lived in 
Torrington he has been engaged in untangling the snarls of a mismanaged insurance company. 
The extract quoted from a contemporaiy newspaper reflects the sentiments of his constituents 
in all parts of the state regarding his effective work as speaker of the house. 




UEL, HENRY WADHAMS, M. D., of Litchfield, founder of the Spring Hill 
Home for Nervous Invalids and President of the First National Bank of Litch- 
field, was born in that town which has produced so many men of mark, April 7, 
1820. He died Jan. 30, 1893. 

He was the son of Dr. Samuel Buel and was descended from William Buel or 
Beville of Chesterton, England, who came to Windsor, Conn., in 1630, and whose son Samuel 
Buel was one of the pioneers and landholders of Killingworth, Conn., where he held many 
public offices of honor and trust. In 1721 Deacon John Buel, son of Samtiel Buel and great- 
great-grandfather of Dr. Henry Buel, came to Litchfield, where he became one of the first 
settlers and proprietors. 

Dr. Buel's father, and -also his father's brother, William Buel, were physicians of note; 
consequently it seemed the most natural thing for the young man, after his graduation from 
Yale College in 1844 with honors, to enter at once upon the study of medicine. This he did 
in the office of his father and later in the offices of Dr. W. P. Buel, and Dr. Gurdon Buck 
of New York City. In 1847 he graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of 
New York, and with such honors that he was immediately appointed hoitse surgeon at the 
New York Hospital where he remained two years. In 1850 he received an appointment as 
house physician of Sanford Hall at Flushing, L- I. This position he held for five years, and 
while thus engaged may be said to ha\-e commenced his professional career as an expert in 
mental diseases. 

During these ten or twelve years passed in study and the practical experiences of hospital 
life. Dr. Buel laid broad the foundations of his future professional success. How important 
the experiences of this period were to him before he assumed the full responsibility which 
attaches to the duties of a practicing physician, no one realized more ftilly than did Dr. Buel 
himself. They placed him on vantage ground when his father began to feel the need of his 



OF CONNECTICUT, JS61-1894. 25 

assistance on account of aj^c, and called him to come to his aid. lie resigned his position at 
Sanford Hall and removed to Litchfield in 1854, where he became an assistant of his father 
in o-eneral practice. In 1S56 he visited Europe, and in 1858 founded the institution in Litch- 
field known as the Spring Hill Home for Nervous Invalids. Here began and ended the chief 
and crowning work of his life, and by his energy and fine aptitude he made this institution 
a complete success. His friend, Dr. Henrj- P. Stearns of Hartford, says of him in the N^e-w 
Eiis:laiid Medical Moiitlily : "For this class of patients his large sympathies were always 
enlisted and the institution became the center of his professional life. He sought to make it 
truly a home, and as nearly as possible to have his patients enjoy a home life. They became, 
especially in his latter years, as wards and children to him. He had that professional tact 
in his intercourse with them that enabled him to secure their entire confidence, and they often 
said that his presence gave more help and comfort than the medicine which he prescribed." 

Dr. Buel held for many years the office of president of the Litchfield County Medical 
Society, and was grcatlv beloved and admired by all of its members. Acknowledged as their 
ideal of all that was noble, manly and courteous in the life of a physician, he found time amid 
the multiplicity of his duties to attend regularly the meetings of the society, and to contribute 
his share towards making them interesting and profitable. His opinions were highly valued 
bv his medical brethren as the product of a carefully trained, well infonned and logical mind. 
Main- important positions in the medical world have been held by Dr. Buel. In 1872 he 
was elected president of the State Medical Society, and received a vote of thanks for his 
annual address on the "Advancement of the ^Medical Profession." He was a member of the 
American ]Medico Psychological Association ; of the New England Psjchological Society ; of 
the Academy of Medicine of New York ; and of the American Medical Association. He was 
appointed by Governor Hubbard as one of the three commissioners to examine into the need 
of further provision for the indigent insane of the state. 

Outside of his profession, in his native town and state, he filled several stations of honor 
and trust. He was for twenty-two years vice-president, and since 1887 president of the First 
National Rank of Litchfield. One of the projectors, he was at one time the president of the 
Shepaug Railroad. Interested in the histor)- of his state, he was a member of the Connecticut 
Historical Society and of the New York University Club. In political life he was a zealous 
Republican, and in religious faith he was a Congregational ist, having been a deacon for thirty 
years of that church at the time of his death. Owning a large and productive farm near his 
residence, he took much delight in keeping it under an excellent state of cultivation. 

Dr. Buel's education and mental qualities, however, enabled him to go beyond the routine 
practice of his profession, and gave him an interest in everything which pertained to the well- 
being and growth of the connnunity in which he li\ed. He was accustomed to do w-hatever 
seemed to be the most important to his best judgment and then could readily pass on to duties 
of another kind, while the diversity of his work seemed, in some measure, to rest his mind; 
so that, notwithstanding his many and varied duties, he always seemed to be fresh and vigorous. 
His domestic relations were most happy and his influence both home and abroad was that of 
a true gentleman. A friend who had known Dr. Buel for man>- years, writes of him, that 
"Tennyson himself, so full of Christian amenity, never knew anyone to whom these words 
' He bore without abuse the grand old name of gentleman,' would ha\e better applied than to 
Dr. Henr}- W. Buel. In ever\- situation this refinement of head and heart was dominant. To 
great personal and professional gifts Dr. Buel added a charm of manner and adaptation of 
speech never surpassed. His kind deeds were twice blessed, and the tones of his sympathetic 
voice come back to us with the memories of our dear sick ones and will tenderly vibrate until 
we respond, like him, to the call which summons us to the world where earthly echoes cease." 



26 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

In the field of siirgeiy, Dr. Buel was considered an expert, and was often called b\- other 
physicians to distant towns to perfonn difificnlt and important operations. On snch occasions 
his judgment was sound, his courage assuring and his technique faultless. He was also greatly 
in demand as a consulting physician in critical cases of severe disease, and was sure to leave 
a good impression after him. He ne\'er sought to disparage or undermine the reputation of a 
professional brother, but on the other hand he would adroitly manage to establish more firmly 
the confidence of the patient and his family in the attending physician. 

Soon after Dr. Buel's death a touching tribute to his memory appeared in the Harlford 
Couraiit. It was from the graceful pen of his lifelong friend and early professional associate, 
Dr. Gurdon W. Russell of Hartford, and was a faithful estimate of his character. Dr. Russell 
said : " Mv acquaintance with him commenced many years ago at a medical gathering in New 
Haven, and ripened into a friendship which was mutual and sincere. He was ever interested 
in matters pertaining to his profession and possessed the confidence of his brethren and the 
favor of the public, and so was largely consulted by both. Of a large frame and robu.st 
constitution, he was well calcidated for great labor. Methodical in his arrangements and 
business-like in his habits, he was able to attend to many and diverse occupations. \Vhate\-er 
was of interest to the town, of a benevolent or public nature, foirnd in him an ardent advo- 
cate and co-laborer. So robvist was his constitution that he was able to perform an amount 
of work that would have overwhelmed most men. It alwa}-s seemed to me that he possessed 
in an eminent degree that sober common sense which is a golden treasure to the fortunate 
owner of it, and so he regarded the various matters which came before him with a temper 
allied to the judicial mind. His disposition to do the thing which was right was uppermost 
with him ; it was a natural habit, and was confirmed from conviction. He was so much of 
an educated Christian gentleman that it was comparati\-ely easy for him to do that which 
would give a man peace at the last. In all his relations, as husband, father and friend, he 
was most happy ; in his professional life he was honorable and just ; in the recognition of 
his duty to his fellows, he was liberal, humble and sincere. In the sturdiness of his character 
we had the assurance that he would be honest in whatever he undertook. The private 
institution which he established and conducted for a long time, was the intense desire of his 
early manhood and the pride of his advancing years ; it was his life work, as he regarded it, 
and was the outcome of a laudable ambition and a proper conception of his own powers. 
He had a happ\- way of dealing with his patients which secured their confidence and aided 
greatly in their restoration. We may place him in the list of specialists who have been an 
honor to our profession and to our state. He may be classed with Doctors Todd, Woodward, 
Brigham, Butler and Shew, who gave their lives to the humane treatment of the insane." 

Dr. Buel was twice married.- First, March 24, 1859, to Mary Ann C. Laidlaw, who 
died Dec. 31, 1864. He then married, April 24, 1867, her sister, Katherine K. Laidlaw, 
who died Aug. 26, 1882. Three children surA'ive him : Dr. John H. Buel, who succeeds his 
father in superintendency of the Spring Hill Home, and is already making his mark in the 
medical world, and two daughters, inimarried. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 27 



=^ARRISOX, HKXRV BALDWIN, ex-governor of the state of Connecticut, was 
(^ born in the city of New Haven, Conn., on Sept. 11, 1S21. His father was 
a talented and eloquent member of the New Haven County Bar, born in the 
town of Branford. The ancestors of Governor Harri.son were residents of 
Branford, in the first settlement of that town, says the Biography of Counccliatl. 
His first ancestor of the name in this country, Thomas Harrison, was a deputy from the 
town of Branford to the assembly, which met at Hartford under the charter of King Charles, 
in 1676. This Thomas Harrison was a man of decided capacity. Wlien the major portion 
of the inhabitants of Branford removed from that place to New Jersey in 1664, on account 
of their hostility to the union between the New Haven and Hartford colonies, a brother of 
Thomas Harrison, Richard by name, left Branford with the Rev. .\braham Pierson. Thomas, 
however, believed that the colony of Connecticut was a good place to remain in, notwith- 
standing the fact of the union ; and that thereby membership in the established church was 
no longer a necessary- qualification for admission to the privileges of a freeman in the colony. 
Thomas Harrison died in 1704, leaving one of the largest estates of the colonv. In the 
division of lands, many of the best locations from the seashore north as far as the present 
village had been taken by him, and each of his sons and sons-in-law received a large and 
fertile farm in the division of his estate. 

Governor Harrison was educated at the Lancasterian School of New Haven, under the 
celebrated English teacher, John E. Lovell. For a few years he acted as the assistant of 
Mr. Lovell, and he was highly respected and beloved by all the pupils of that school who 
were under his tuition. He entered Yale College in 1842, and graduated in 1S46, with the 
highest honors of his class, being the valedictorian. Immediately after graduation he began 
the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1848. He entered at once upon a fine 
practice, and within a few years was recognized as one of the leading lawyers of the state. 
He continued to practice his profession with great success, making a fine reputation, especiallv 
as a corporation lawyer and as a successful advocate in the Stipreme Court of Errors. He 
retired from active practice about 1880, and while he has since that time declined to appear 
in the courts, his advice and counsel are frequently sought upon intricate questions of 
constitutional and corporation law. In 1872, when an amendment to the charter of Yale 
College was adopted, by which the ahnnni are permitted to elect a certain number of p-ellows 
of the coqjoration. Governor Harrison was elected, and he continued to hold the position of 
Fellow of the corporation of his alma mater until he resigned in 1885. 

One of the most notable cases with which his name has been identified was the trial 
of Willard Clark at New Haven for nnirder. It was all the more marked because it occurred 
only eight years after his admission to the bar. Charles Chapman of Hartford was associated 
with him as counsel for defence. In an article on the " Bench and Bar of New Haven," 
in the histor>- of that city, the stor\- of the trial is told in full. It contains the following 
allusion to Governor Harrison: "No one had suspected before that time that Clark was an 
insane man within the ordinar\- meaning of the word. As junior coun.sel, Mr. Harrison 
went into the preparation of the case with his usual thoroughness and ability. The young 
woman was about seventeen years of age, and Clark was about thirty. He had courted 
her with assiduity, and she had repulsed most of his attentions with disdain and disgtist. 
Clark insisted that, notwithstanding her apparent want of affection for him, she was deeply 
m love with him, and that her negatives were to be understood bv him as affirmatives. 
He seemed to believe that after her marriage with Wight she was dumbly pleading with 
him to rid her from a hateful alliance. At that time, the defense of insanity upon a 



28 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

single subject, monomania, had not received the general favor with juries it has since 
acqnired. The eloquence of his counsel, and the careful preparation of the evidence, con- 
vinced the jury that Clark was not legally responsible for the crime he had committed, and 
he was acquitted on the ground of insanity." 

In early life. Air. Harrison was an active member of the Whig party, and in 1854 he 
was elected by the Whigs and anti-slavery men of New Haven a member of the State 
Senate from the then fourth district, which included the towns of New Haven, Hamden, and 
Woodbridge. Among his associates in the Senate were James Dixon, afterward United States 
Senator, William T. Minor, who was subsequently governor of the state, and a judge of the 
superior court, and David C. Sanford, who became a judge of the Supreme Court of Errors. 
All of these gentlemen were the seniors of Mr. Harrison, yet he received the important 
position of chairman of the joint committees on incorporations, and on temperance. 

From the latter committee, ]Mr. Harrison reported and secured the passage of the pro- 
hibitor}- law, sometimes known as the IMaine law. It was so carefully drawn that all of the 
manv subsequent attacks upon the constitutionality of the act failed in the Supreme Court 
of Errors. Mr. Harrison was also the author of the Personal Liberty bill, designed to 
protect colored men against illegal attempts to deprive them of their liberty under the 
Fugitive Slave act of 1851. During the seven years that followed before the outbreak of 
the Civil W^ar, no attempt was ever made in Connecticut to take a colored man out of the 
state under the claim that he was a fugitive from slavery. Hon. Augustus Brandegee, a 
member of the House in 1854, from New London, ably seconded Senator Harrison, and by 
his eloquence carried the bill through the lower branch of the Assembly. 

Two vears later, upon the organization of the Republican part}-, Mr. Harrison, who 
ne\er joined the x\merican or "Know Nothing" party, as it was called, entered heartily^ 
into the fonnation of the new Republican party. He attended the first mass convention held 
for that purpose at Hartford, Connecticut, in February', 1856, and was the first candidate 
of that part)- for the office of lieutenant-governor. The Hon. Gideon Welles, of Hartford, 
was the candidate for governor. The Republican ticket received in that election about six 
thousand votes, but within two years thereafter most of the men who formed the remnant 
of the Whig party, and those who had gone into the "Know Nothing" movement, united 
with Mr. Welles and Mr. Harrison in the support of the principles and candidates of the 
Republican part}-. For many years the voice and pen of Air. Harrison were potent, and 
the cause of freedom and the Union had no more eloquent advocate in the state. In 1865 
Mr. Harrison was elected a representative from the town of New Haven to the General 
Assembly at Hartford. He declined to be a candidate for speaker, and. requested the 
nomination of his colleague, the late judge E. K. Foster. Mr. Foster became speaker, and 
Mr. Harrison became the leader of his party upon the floor of the House. His learning, 
his eloquence, his sound sense, and his judgment as a legislator and a party leader, so 
commended him to his fellow citizens that, by common consent, in every part of the 
state, it was understood that he should become the successor of Governor Buckingham in 
the executive office. A few weeks before the Republican convention assembled in Januaiy, 
1866, some friends of General Hawley came to New Haven and reqttested Mr. Harrison 
to withdraw his name as a candidate for governor, and urged that the Republicans owed 
such a debt to the returned soldiers that one of their leaders ought to receive the nomina- 
tion for governor. At that time nothing but his own act could lia\-e pre\-ented the 
nomination of Mr. Harrison by acclamation. His admiration, however, for the men who 
had gone to the front during the war for the Union was so great that he promptly wrote 
a letter which was made public, absolutely forbidding the use of his name for the office 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 29 

of governor, and urj^ing the noniination of General Hawley. Before the Repnblican party 
had another opportunity to recognize his ability by a noniination for that office, it had 
gone into a minority in the state. In the presidential election of 1S72 the Repnblicans 
had regained control of the state, and as Marshall Jewell declined a renoniination for 
governor, the Republicans felt that it was time Vlx. Harrison should receive the ofifice 
which he had so generously declined in 1865. The excitement over the proposed removal 
of the capital from New Haven had reached such a pitch that Mr. Harrison, as a New 
Haven man, was defeated in the convention of 1873. He was elected, however, a repre- 
sentative from New Haven to the General Assembly at Hartford, and again he so won 
the respect and admiration of his party that in 1874 he was nominated by acclamation as 
its candidate for governor. A tidal wave of Democracy, however, was then rolling over 
the country, and the Republican party was defeated in Connecticut, as in almost every 
other doubtful northern state. Mr. Harrison never wavered, however, in his support of the 
principles of the party, and in 18S3 he was for the third time elected a representative 
from New Haven to the General Assembly. Upon the organization of the House, in 1S84, 
he was nominated by acclamation for speaker. He filled this resptnisible office with the 
same careful and conscientious regard to the duties of his position as had characterized 
him in all the work of his life, whether professional or public. 

In the summer of 1884 a wann contest arose over the nomination for governor. The 
Democrats had elected their candidates by a large majority in the election of November, 
1882, and the popular Thomas M. Waller, then governor, was a candidate for re-election. 
It was the Blaine campaign and a serious defection of several hundred Republican votes 
was anticipated. The state was close and the leaders of the Republican party felt that a 
careful and judicious nomination for governor was needed. The convention selected ^Ir. 
Harrison. He entered with zeal into the campaign and made a number of eloquent addresses 
in the larger cities and towns of the state. The Burchard incident prevented Mr. Blaine 
and Mr. Harrison from securing the desired plurality, but the majority against the Democratic 
ticket was two or three thousand. The General Assembly, at its January session, 1885, 
elected Mr. Harrison governor, and he held the highest office in the gift of his native state 
with eminent satisfaction and to the entire approval of all good citizens of all parties. As 
a lawyer, orator and statesman, Mr. Harrison has ahvays been especially noted for the long 
and careful preparation of whatever work he may be obliged to perform ; and for the clear, 
incisive manner in which he presents his views and conclusions. No one can listen to him 
without being convinced that he not only believes he is right, but that he knows he is 
right, and the hearer will usually come to the conclusion that he is right. Mr. Harrison 
has been for years a prominent member of the Trinity Episcopal Church in New Haven. 
On several occasions he has been a delegate to the Diocesan and National Conventions of 
that denomination of Christians. 

He married early in life Miss Mar>' Elizabeth Osborne of P'airfield, Conn., a daughter 
of Hon. Thomas B. Osborne, who was at one time a member of Congress from the Fairfield 
district, and subsequently a judge of the county court. 



30 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN 




^URR, ALFRED ED:MUND, of Hartford, senior editor and proprietor of the 
Hartford Times, was born in Hartford, ^Nlarch 27, 1815. 

He belongs to tlie old line of Burrs, so honorably and prominently asso- 
ciated with the colonial settlement of the present capital of the state. His 
parents were James and Lncretia (Olcott) Burr. His ancestor, Benjamin Burr, 
came to Hartford with a company from Newtown (Boston) in 1635, and his name is recorded 
on the monument in the Centre Church bur)ing ground of Hartford with the names of the 
earliest settlers of the town. Benjamin Burr's son Thomas was born in Hartford in 1645. 
Thomas, Jr., was born in Hartford, 1719. His son James, father of Alfred E., was born in 
Hartford, in 1766. In early life he was a shipping merchant, dealing with the West India 
Islands. James Burr married Lncretia Olcott, daughter of Jonathan Olcott of Hartford. Her 
paternal ancestor, and maternal ancestor, John Marsh, were also among the earliest settlers, 
arriving in Hartford in 1635. The combination of the two streams makes up the strong posi- 
tive personalitv of Alfred E. Burr. Educated in the schools of Hartford, he afterwards ser\-ed 
a regular apprenticeship in the trade of a printer. Just before reaching the age of twenty-four 
he took a step which was lifelong in its effects. At that time he purchased a half interest in 
the Hartford Times, a paper with which he has since been identified. In tastes, abilities and 
habits Mr. Burr is eminently journalistic, and his professional successes have simply been 
commensurate with his qualifications. By all the tests which can be applied, he is entitled 
to rank with such born editors as Horace Greeley, Samuel Bowles and Henry J. Raymond. 

The political principles of the Times have been fixed and unvarying. They embody the 
conclusions of much careful thought and study, and command the respect due to conscientious 
and deliberate conviction. Conscience and moral principles have been incorporated with its 
issues since the hour of ]\Ir. Burr's connection with it, and indeed from its very foundation 
on Jan. i, 1817. 

Previous to his becoming proprietor of the Times, he had been employed in the printing office 
of the old Whig and Federal organ, the Comiecticut Conrant, a prosperous daily sheet. The 
publishers wishing to retire, they offered the paper to Mr. Burr on easy and favorable terms, 
but with conditions attached with which he could not comply. His fortiuies were cast with 
the Times, and in January, 1841, he purchased the remaining interest in the paper, and thus 
became sole editor and proprietor. For nearly fourscore years the paper has been distinguished 
by consistent continuity of doctrine in all matters pertinent to political philosophy and political 
economy. It has been for man\^ years the leading exponent of Democratic ideas in the state. 
"Its special historic renown lies in its championship of needed reforms; in having caught 
and strengthened the spirit of tlie times, and in leading on progressive lovers of liberty to 
eventual victory." Its first campaign was against the old Connecticut system of church and 
state. All the citizens were taxed for the maintenance of the "Standing Order," the 
Congregational churches. 

The elections held in 181 7 resulted in the downfall of the dominant Federals, and in 
calling the convention which framed the present Constitution in 1818. Godly and learned 
ministers stro\-e in \ain to a\ert the inevitable. The}' really belie\-ed that every-thing would go 
to destruction in case of any material departure from the old order of civil and churchly affairs. 
The Hartford Times was in the van of the Tolerationists, who succeeded in incorporating with 
the Constitution three sections which were intended for the protection of religious freedom. 
The remembrance of that exciting contest has almost faded out of the mind of the Common- 
wealth, and only the verj- aged recollect it. The evils apprehended have not been suffered, 
but on the contrary- true religion and morality have made cheering advances. In 1833 the 



I 




Z^:^^^^-^^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 31 

Tivns was aj^ain most vigorous and aggressive in its demand for the repeal of an obnoxious 
and illiberal statute wliich denied to everj- believer in universal salvation of the human family 
the right to testif\- in a court of justice. Other enactments of essentially the same character 
were successively the objects of the Tinics^ hostility, and ultimately suffered like obliteration. 

In 1853 Mr. Burr himself was called upon to participate in the legislation of the state by 
election to the House of Repre.sentati\es, in which he served for one session. The circulation 
of the weekly Times was in the meantime steadily increasing, and it was in the front rank of the 
papers of the state. The daily Times, established i\Iarch 2, 1841, also rose to the leadership 
of its Connecticut contemporaries in point of circulation, and also of positive influence upon 
the politics of the state. As an active and energetic protester against the repeal of the Missouri 
Compromise, Mr. Burr .stood almost alone. He warned his party that if the plans of the 
ambitious Stephen .\. Douglas were carried out, the overthrow of the Democratic part)- would 
follow, and that the resulting sectional organizations would probably involve the country- in 
civil war. His predictions were discredited even by local statesmen, but subsequent e\-ents 
terribly justified them and vindicated his wisdom and foresight. In i860, the Times supported 
the candidacy of Breckinridge and Lane. 

Mr. Burr took strong grounds against the Know Nothing party. He sent reporters into 
the lodges in Hartford, and ga\-e their proceedings to the public. Publicity proved fatal to 
their power, and the party waned and became extinct under repeated exposures. From 1830 
to 1846, the Hon. Gideon Welles greatly enriched the columns of the Times by his trenchant 
and able pen. He and Mr. Burr were congenial yoke fellows in party management. Before 
the Civil War began, the patriotic dread of such a calamit\- led him to exhaust all means of 
argument and persuasion to prevent it. Like Horace Greeley, he had no liking for " The 
Republic whereof one half was pinned to the other b}' bayonets." When the end of actual 
hostilities arrived, he unsparingly condemned the self-stultification of the Republicans, who 
declared certain states to be out of the Union in order to effect the adoption of war amend- 
ments to the National Constitution. Exclusion and secession were alike repugnant to his 
opinions, and in his estimation were equally disunionist measures. 

In 1866, Mr. Burr was again elected to the popular branch of the state legislature, and 
served with efficiency to the satisfaction of his con.stituents. He has been often and urgentlv 
solicited to accept public honors, such as governor or election to congress, but has declined on 
the ground of a preference for the pursuits of journalism. He is said to be the oldest active 
journalist in the country. Half a ccntun.- of uninterrupted professional practice has not only 
imparted unusual deftness and skill in the use of his vigorous pen, but has clothed him with 
a power akin to that which king-making Earl of Warwick won by his sword. Though 
refusing official positions for himself, he has made many men what against his opposition they 
would not have been, namely, congressmen, governors and incumbents of other positions. 

Says a sketch of him, written ten years ago: "The Hartford 'Times is as much .\lfred 
B^ Burr as the New York Titncs was Henry J. Raymond, or the .Xeic York Evening Post 
was William Cnllen Bryant. It is Alfred E. Burr speaking his deep-seated con\ictions on 
matters of importance to locality, state and nation, and that with a candor and ability which 
connnand universal respect. For thirty years his counsels have been potent with his political 
party in Connecticut, and have not infrequently been the means of its victories at the polls. 
In local affairs he has always exhibited the keenest interest. He is the advocate of progress 
and the exponent of broad and wise plans of public usefulness. To him, more than to any 
other editor, and indeed in opposition to some, the establishment of the excellent high school 
, in Hartford is due. He pleaded for, and pressed the construction of the City Water Works, 
and the introduction of pure water from the mountain six miles west of the citv. The beautiful 



32 REPRESENrATIl'E MEN 

Bushnell Park is also largely indebted to him for existence. His, too, was the project of 
buying the thirteen acres of ground, together with the buildings, owned by the corporation 
of Trinity College. The Rev. Dr. Bushnell declared that purchase was finally accomplished 
throuo-h the efforts of the Times and its senior editor, Alfred E. Burr. The price paid to 
Trinity College was $600,000. The ground was then tendered to the state for the site of its 
new capitol. Mr. Burr was appointed president of the commission to whom the erection of 
the new building was entnisted. That beautiful edifice cost $2,500,000. The money was 
drawn from the treasury- and disbursed by the president of the commission, under the law of 
the state, to the satisfaction of the citizens, and also of the legislature, which passed resolu- 
tions of compliment to the commissioners. In all local improvement, beneficent undertakings, 
and public-spirited measures, that tend to the promotion of civil order and welfare, he has 
been conspicuous, and has infused the same spirit into his associates. Personal character and 
eminent ability have always commanded for him the profound respect of his fellow citizens, 
while sterling honesty in all private and public relations has conducted him to gratifying and 
assured prosperity." 

Mr. Burr was one of the original members of the state board of health, established in 
1878, and was president of the board from 18S4 till June, 1893, when he resigned. He was 
one of the original members of the board of pardons, established in 1883, and he is still 
a member of the board. He is a member of the permanent state commission of art and 
sculpture ; president of the Dime Savings Bank of Hartford, and has occupied important 
positions on committees and commissions under the nnmicipal government of the town. 

The Times enio}-s the largest circulation of any periodical in Connecticut, and will doubt- 
less retain the proud preeminence, while its reputation for enterprise, promptitude and ability 
in collecting and discussing current news is maintained at its present altitude. 

Alfred E. Burr was manied April 18, 1841, to Sarah A., daughter of Abner Booth of 
Meriden, Conn. His wife still survives. The fiftieth anniversary of their wedding occurred 
April 18, 1891. Three children have been born to them; namely, Edmund Lewis, born 
February, 1842, and died October, 1845. Willie Olcott, born in 1843, and is now of the firm 
of Burr Brothers, and the successful business manager of the Times. He married Angle, 
daughter of Mr. Gilbert Lincoln. They have only one child, Florence Lincoln Burr, born in 
1875. The daughter of Mr. A. E. Burr is Mrs. Ella Burr McManus, wife of Dr. James 
McManus of Hartford. She is a regular weekly contributor to the Times. 

Mr. Franklin L. Burr has had so large a share in creating the prosperity of the Times 
during the last forty years, that his name should be mentioned in this connection. He is 
twelve years younger than his brother, A. E. Burr, and learned the printer's trade in the 
Times office. In 1853 he took a position in the ofhce of the solicitor of the treasury in 
Washington, and remained there two years, when he came back to assist in the editorial 
department of the Times. His graceful articles along the lines of natural science and on 
astronomy and geology have attracted much attention ; and his reviews of books have long 
been a feature of the Times. The late Poet Tennyson wrote to him a special letter of thanks 
for one of his reviews of the poet's works, and complimented him by saying it stood among 
the best that had been written on either side of the Atlantic. 

Mr. Burr became a partner in the firm of Burr Brothers, in 1858. He was married in 1853 
to Miss Lizzie Morrow of Manchester, Conn. To them three children were born ; namely, 
Mary, Frederick Woodbridge, and Emily Winifred. Frederick died at the age of twenty- 
one, and Emily at twenty years. 




OF CONNECriCi'T, 1861-1894. 33 

()(jT, ELISHA K., president of Colt's Patent Fire Anns Manufacturing Company, 
at the time of his death in 1865, through genius for mechanical invention, 
skill in administration and purity of character, bequeathed an influence for 
good that is still profoundly if unconsciously felt. Born at Belchertown, Mass., 
May 5, 1808, he enjoyed during the winter the advantages of the district 
school until fifteen years old, when he entered a machine shop at Ware. After completing 
his apprenticeship he worked in different places till 1832, when on the iSth of August he 
made a written contract with the Collins Company of Collinsville, Conn., to work two years 
from date, " building and repairing gearing and machinery, keeping polishing wheels in 
order, etc., etc." He was to receive for his services $546 per annum, to be paid at the end 
of each year, and three hundred and twelve days were to be considered a year's work. No 
provision was made for seeing ball games, or even for dropping off early for Christmas 
dinner. One holiday only — probably the Fourth of July — could be squeezed out of the 
arrangement. His superiority quickly attracted the attention of the owners and he was made 
overseer of the repair department. A little later, by common consent, he became the real 
overseer of the entire establishment, though not appointed superintendent by the directors 
till 1845. Ingenious, vigilant and de\oted to the interests of his employers, he rapidly 
converted a somewhat primiti\e shop into a modern factor}-. 

The following, taken from the fourth annual report of P. H. Woodward, secretary' 
of the Hartford Board of Trade, illustrates both the qualit>- and the results of his work : 

A hint like a flash of inspiration may in an instant disclose to one the theory of a complex situation. 
When collecting material for the manual issued by this association in 1889, I was deeply impressed by the 
emotion of one of our industrial chiefs, whose name is familiar to both hemispheres, while reverting to the 
imperishable lessons taught by Colonel Colt and Elisha K. Root to future leaders just coming upon the stage. 
They demanded the best work, at the same time sparing no effort to devise the most efficient means for the 
attainment of mechanical ends. Perfection alone could satisfy their cravings. Others caught the inspiration 
and carried it with them as they went out to plant the colonies near Park River, which are making that suburb 
of Hartford one of the most fruitful spots on the planet. In those schools, too, hundreds are taught to-dav 
to strive for similar excellence. The method makes character, for honesty, truthfulness, fidelity are thus 
inculcated in every act of production. 

In communities as in families the laws of heredity are operative. Recognition of the principle throws a 
peculiar interest around those who open new paths for mankind to follow in, and must be accepted as an excuse 
for the introduction of the following incident in the life of a person whose influence was so deeply impressed a 
generation ago upon the industrial forces of the city that it has broadened with the fleeting years. 

.A.bout 1836, while at the head of the mechanical department of the Collins Company at Collinsville, Elisha 
K. Root was confronted by the sudden failure of a heavy and complicated machine used for several essential 
processes in the production of the axe. The repairer, having tried in vain to remedy the trouble, called in 
Mr. Root. .\ number of unsuccessful experiments disclosed the seriousness of the case. After an interval of 
abstraction Mr. Root took a seat, motionless and in silence, before the recusant monster, whose mighty arms 
refused longer to slave. Returning from dinner he held the same immovable attitude till night. No one 
presumed to interrupt the vigil. Still the mystery baffled him. The next morning the silent communion was 
resumed. Soon the clouds broke. Without a word Mr. Root went to his desk and dashed off a sketch that, 
while preserving the massive frame, dispensed with a multitude of pieces, and produced the needed motions by 
a few simple contrivances. The reconstructed machine recognized the genius of its master hy the unfaltering 
precision with which it did its appointed work, till replaced a few years later by a new invention of his own, 
which is still in use. 

Mr. Root was always zealous in the performance of duty and for the most part left 
questions of compensation to adjust themselves. In a contract with the companv dated 
Feb. 3, 1836, for a nominal consideration he transferred to it his entire interest in the patentable 
machines and improvements with which he had already enriched it. He also agreed to 
continue in its employment for the further period of three years, to make all the improve- 
ments he could in the processes of manufacture, and that the ownership and benefit of all 



34 REPRESEXTATU'E MEN 

his inventions shonld belong solely to the company. The pay agreed upon was $780 for 
the first and second years, and $1,000 for the third. April 28, 1845, his salary- was made 
$2,000 per annum. The increase was voted not from solicitation on his part, but because 
several large concerns outside of the state, including the United States Armon.- at Springfield, 
tried to draw him away by tempting offers. 

His inventions gave the Collins Company for a long time control of the American 
market, besides opening a large export trade. By one of his devices the eye of the axe, 
which had before been formed by welding, was punched out of the solid metal. Another 
sharpened the tool by chipping instead of grinding, and thus saved not only labor, but also 
the lungs of the operatives. 

In 1849 ]\Ir. Root moved to Hartford to take superintendence of the shops for the manu- 
facture of Colonel Colt's famous revolver. The enterprise, then in its infancy, grew with 
amazing rapidity and success. The genius of Mr. Root was ceaselessly active in improving 
old and contriving new devices for facilitating and cheapening the processes of production. 
Even to catalogue them would overstep the limits of this sketch. In 1853, in the drop hammer, 
he devised a new method of forging the parts. In 1854 he patented machines for boring the 
chambers of the cylinder, and also for boring four barrels at one time. By him the parts 
were made interchangeable, so that all the weapons of a given pattern were precisely alike. 
In 1854-55, when the works were built for supplying Hartford with river water through 
the Garden street reservoir, Mr. Root invented the pumps which were quite unlike anything 
then to be found. These lasted over fifteen years, and proved so efficient that when worn 
out they were replaced by others of similar pattern. 

Mr. Root was eminently practical. Vagaries had no attraction for him. To reach the 
best results by the simplest and most economical methods was his constant aim. Enough 
has been written to indicate the extraordinary genius of Mr. Root in the field of mechanical 
invention. He was a profound student and thinker. It can be truly said of him that in 
every relation of life, as workman and employer, at home and in the community, he was 
faithful to every trust. This is a virtue of supreme value at all times, and its need was never 
more appreciated than now. At the death of Colonel Colt, in January, 1862, ]Mr. Root was 
made president of Colt's Patent Fire Arms ^Manufacturing Company. He sun-ived his asso- 
ciate in this inar\-elously successful enterprise alDOUt three and a half )-ears, having passed 
away Aug. 31, 1865. 

Mr. Root married 2d Matilda Colt, daughter of Hon. Elisha Colt, comptroller of Con- 
necticut, 1806-19, ^^^d treasurer of the Society for Savings from its incorporation in 1819 
till 1829. Their children are Miss Matilda Colt Root; Ellen Root, Avife of Charles H. Clark, 
managing editor of the Coitraiit ; and Dr. E. K. Root, a physician of Hartford. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 35 

ALLICR, THOMAS MACDONAIJ), of New London, ex-governor of Connecticnt, 
was born in the city of New York in 1840, and is of Irish ancestry. The 
death of his mother, his younger and only brother, William, and of his father, 
e\ents which qnickl\- followed one another in the order named, left him before he 
was eight years of age alone and nnprotected in the city of his birth. The story 
of his boyhood, as he freqnently says, "the only really interesting part of his career," reads 
like a romance. Thrown upon the world at this tender age wholly dependent upon his 
own resources, he began the battle of life, with a few papers which the generosity of a 
stranger supplied him, as a newsboy in the streets of New York. In a public after-dinner 
speech delivered a few months ago at a banquet in Brooklyn, incidentally referring to this 
time of his life, he was reported as saying : 

I was a very small boy way back iu '49, when gold was discovered in California ; but I renienil)cr that the 
papers I was then selling (the Siiii. Tiibunf and Moniitiir S/ar) on the streets of New York were so filled with 
accounts of the discovery of mountains of gold, that I thought gold would not be "worth a cent," and, with this 
apprehension, instead of going with the star of empire westward, I went to Connecticut. I went there as to a 
reformatory school, thinking that when I was good enough I would return to New York and become a New York 
politician (laughter). I have stayed there a good while. I have got over the notion that the influx of gold will 
destroy the financial system of the world, and I have come to the belief that this country can stand a good deal 
more of .\merican silver in coin. I have returned to New York, but only to do business, not to be a politician. 
I have had some temptation to step into the political waters here, but I have resisted it. I am satisfied that 
a longer probation is necessary. I am not good enough yet (laughter). 

His Struggles as a newsboy were similar to those of other poor boys following the same 
humble calling, sa>s the niography of Connecticut. He continued iu this occupation during 
the months of one summer only. He then became a "cabin boy " on a fishing vessel 
sailing from the port of New York. During the gold excitement of 1849, and while he was 
attached to the schooner " Mount Vernon," he was about to sail in that vessel to California, 
when Mr. Robert K. Waller, a kind-hearted citizen of New London, became interested in 
him, offered him a home and education, and made him by adoption a member of his familv 
and household, and the bearer of his name. Since this good fortune happened, Thomas M. 
Annstrong, whose father's name was Thomas Christopher, and whose mother's name was Man,-, 
has been known as Thomas Macdonald Waller. The boy, who had already enjoyed the advantages 
of the schools of New York city, then entered the public schools of New London, and 
remained in them until he graduated at the Bartlett grammar school with honors, carr\'ing 
off the first prize in oratory- at about the age of seventeen. The class to which he belonged 
in the high school, of which Mr. E. B. Jennings, M. A., was the master, graduated several 
boys beside Waller who have won distinction in life. In due time Mr. Waller began the 
study of law and was admitted to practice in the courts of Connecticut. In his profession 
he soon attained a reputation as a successful advocate, and acquired a lucrative practice. 
At the opening of the war he enlisted in the Second Connecticut Regiment for a three 
months' campaign, but on account of a painful disease of his eyes, from which he has 
suffered more or less during life, he was not able to remain in the service. He did what 
he could, however, by public speeches and otherwise, in recruiting regiments in Connecticut 
and elsewhere. He was elected a member of the Connecticut Legislature iu 1S67, and again 
in 186S, and during the latter session of the Assembly he took a leading part in an important 
debate on the policy of bridging the Connecticut river. In a recent speech, delivered before 
the Chamber of Commerce of the city of New Haven on " rapid transit," and published in 
the state papers, in allusion to this incident, he is reported as saying : 

The first public speech I ever made in New Haven which I am able to recall, was delivered in 1868, in the 
old state house on the college green. Ex-Senator Eaton closed a several days' legislative debate against l)ridging 
the Connecticut river, or as he used to call it, "bridging God's highway," on one side, and I closed it on the 



36 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

other. New Haven was aroused from centre to circumference on that occasion in favor of the bridge. "You 
cannot resist the nineteenth century," I remember was about the only argument urged, but it was sufficient 
and successful (laughter). On the night of victory our esteemed friend, Harry Lewis (may he live long and 
be happy), gave our side an ovation, and that night (we were all younger then) in the exuberance of our joy, we 
" painted the town red." The old river ferry boats on the Connecticut went into ancient history, and the 
locomotive crossed God's highway in triumph (applause). I recall this instance now because the predictions 
that were sincerelj' made of all sorts of harm that would follow the change from the old to the new, from 
the ferrj- boat to the bridge, would be to-night, in the light of our experience, curious and useful reading. I 
have lived to see the Shore Line wooden bridge built and wear out with age, and in the progressive spirit of 
the times a splendid iron structure take its place. The man)- years behind me since that speech was made 
reminds me of approaching age. But the fact is not a sad one. We must all, you know, either die young or 
grow old, and the latter alternative is preferable, if we are doing something worthy of our time as we pass 
down the line (applause). 

In 1870 Mr. Waller was elected secretary of state. The dirties of this office did not 
interfere with his legal practice. The clerks in the office did the business, — the secretary- 
had only the direction and supervision of the official work. In the Centennial year of 
1876 he was elected speaker of the House of Representatives. The session was the shortest 
that had been held for years, and much of the credit for the prompt manner in which the 
public business was accomplished was ascribed by the newspapers of that day to the ability 
and facility with which the speaker discharged his duty. At the close of the session he 
was presented with an elegant watch in token of the respect of his colleagues in the Assembly 
for his impartiality and courtesy as their presiding officer. At the close of the session, the 
judges of the courts of Connecticut appointed him as the attorney of the state for New 
London county. This office he held by reappointments until he was elected in 1882 as 
governor of the commonwealth. During his state-attorneyship he tried a number of criminal 
cases which attracted the attention of the whole country, and the evidence and arguments 
in which were published daily in all metropolitan journals. The trial of Herbert Hayden, 
a ]\Iethodist minister, for the murder of one of his parishioners, occurred in New Haven 
and occupied the court for more than two months. " He was designated to conduct this 
trial by the judges of the state at the request of the state-attorney, Hon. Tilton E. 
Doolittle, who was disqualified by reason of some professional association with the accused. 

]\Ir. Waller was elected and re-elected mayor of New London. He succeeded the Hon. 
Augustus Brandegee, and the Hon. Robert Coit was his successor in the office. He served 
the city for nearly six years. His administration, as appears from the published reports of 
his official vetoes and orders in the city press, was always spirited and sometimes aggressive. 
His sweeping "wooden awning," "sidewalk" and "hitching posts " orders are often now 
referred to by New Londoners w-ith an approving smile. The improvements the titles of 
these orders suggest are appreciated now, but at the time they were issued they raised a 
municipal tempest, and were the occasion of a city meeting in the historic old house, the 
object of which was the censure of the mayor for his inordinate activity. The meeting was 
an unusually long one, and the speeches were many and vehement ; but the result was, after 
a speech of defense by the mayor, that the meeting adjourned, sine die, without taking action, 
and the mayor was in due time re-elected to office. 

In 1882 he was nominated by his party as a candidate for governor, and after a 
campaign in which he took the leading part, speaking everywhere in the state, he was elected 
by a handsome majority. His administration was recognized by men of all parties as dignified 
and conservative. The contemporaneous criticisms of the press of the state show that his 
messages, public speeches and other state papers which are of record, were accorded unstinted 
and general commendation. The delegates at the state convention which first nominated him 
for governor were nearly divided in their preferences between him and other candidates, but 
at the close of his tw-o years' term as governor his party convention renominated him without 



OF' CONNECTICUT, 1861-1S94. 37 

a division and with enthusiastic acclamation. He received in his second canvass for the 
distingnished office a phirality of the votes of the people, and a larger number of votes than 
Grover Cleveland, who was the candidate for President at the same election and who carried 
the state. Mr. Waller failed, however, to obtain a majority over all, and as the General 
Assembly was Republican, his competitor, Hon. Henry B. Harrison, notwithstanding the 
popular choice, became the governor of the state. 

President Cleveland offered Mr. Waller the appointment of consul general of the United 
States at London, the most lucrative office it is said in the patronage of this government. 
The public press approved the appointment, and expressed the opinion that Mr. Waller, 
because of his speech in favor of Cleveland in the national convention of 1884, which is 
specially noticed in the records of that convention, deserved the highest compliment and 
office the President could give him. As consul general in London, Mr. Waller made such 
a record that the state department on more than one occasion expressed its official satisfaction 
in most complimentary terms, and the English and American people with whom he had 
associated in social and business affairs for four years in London, gave a banquet in his 
honor on the eve of his departure, at which three hundred people, including Minister 
Phelps, Minister Grant, and the entire consular corps in Great Britain were present. On 
this occasion he was presented with a costly silver "loving cup" bearing suitable com- 
plimentary- inscriptions, and well filled with royal punch. Since Mr. Waller's return to 
this country he has been engaged in his profession as the senior member of the firm of 
Waller, Cook & Wagner, corporation lawyers at 15 Wall street, New York. His name 
has been mentioned in the state papers as a candidate for the vice-presidency. The onlv 
public position he has since held was connected with the World's Columbian Exposition. 
He was nominated as a commissioner for Connecticut l)y Go\-. Morgan G. Bulkelev, 
appointed to the position by President Harrison, and elected as first vice-president by 
the national commission. He was frequently called to the chair of the commission bv 
President Palmer, and took an active part in all the debates of that body. As a presiding 
officer in the chair he has won encomiums for his knowledge of parliamentar\- law. Of 
his success as a debater, a writer in one of the Chicago papers has said: "He has made as 
many motions and offered as many amendments as any other member of the body, and the 
journal of the proceedings shows that, — excepting upon motions for adjournment, of 
which he himself says he is always in favor — he has hardly ever failed to carrj' his point." 
Mr. Waller still resides in New London. "He works," he says, "five days a week in 
New York that he may live the other two in Connecticut." 

Mr. Waller married in early life Miss Charlotte Bishop, a New London girl. His 
present family consists of his wife, one daughter and fi\e sons. His daughter is the wife 
of Prof. William R. Appleb>- of the University of Minnesota. His eldest son, Tracy, is a 
lawyer now practicing his profession in New London. His son Martin, a member of the 
New London Bar, is engaged temporarily in mercantile business, and his son Robert K. is 
now a student at Yale Law School. His two younger boys are pursuing their school studies 
in New London. 




38 REPRESEXTArn-E MEX 

^ENN, AUGUSTUS HALL, LL. B., A. M., judge of the superior court, late judge 
of probate for the Wiuchester district, and brevet-colouel United States vohmteers, 
was born at Plymouth, Litchfield county, Conn., Jan. i8, 1844. The family of 
Fenn has long been known in Connecticut as one of high respectability, and 
its members have intermarried with some of the best and oldest families in the 
state. On his paternal side the subject of this sketch traces his descent, through one of the 
female alliances, to William and Elizabeth Tuttle of England, who were among the earliest 
settlers of New England and residents at New Haven about the year 1635, as fully set forth 
in the genealogy of the Tuttle family, compiled by George F. Tuttle, Esq., of New Haven, and 
published in 1883. His father, the late Augustus Fenn, son of Elam Fenn, was a native of 
Plvmouth, Conn., and married Esther Maria, daughter of Orison Hall of Plymouth, whose ances- 
tors were also among the first settlers of New Haven, Milford, Wallingford and Cheshire, Conn. 
Judge Fenn received his earh- education at the district and common schools and at the 
Waterbury high school. As a youth his tastes took a strong literar}- turn, and he contributed 
freely both in prose and verse to newspapers and periodicals, and in 1859 published a small 
volume of poems. In March, 1862, having settled on the law as a profession, he began its 
study in the oflfice of the Hon. Ammi Giddings of Plymouth. Although he applied himself 
with diligence to the mastery of Blackstone and Kent, and to fulfilling the routine duties of 
his clerkship, he was not for a moment insensible to the dangers threatening his countr}-, then 
in the throes of the Civil War. Ardently patriotic, he had watched the conflict from the ver\' 
first with the keenest interest, and, doubtless, had he been permitted to have his own wav, 
would have been one of the earliest — bo}' though he was — to take up arms in defense of the 
national government. As the .stirring events of the second year of the war unfolded them- 
selves he became dissatisfied with his inaction, and finally concluding that the nation had 
need of the services of e\-er\- one of her sons, howe\er \oung, who might be capable of bearing 
arms, he abandoned his studies, and in July, 1862, enlisted in the Nineteenth Regiment of 
Infantr}-, Connecticut \'olunteers, then being recruited in his section of the state. His com- 
rades at once recognized his fitness for leadership, and elected him to first lieutenancv of com- 
pany "K." In a short time the niimber and designation of the regiment was changed to the 
Second Connecticut Heavy Artillery, and Lieutenant F'enn was chosen to the captaincy of 
company "C." In the field he ser\-ed with his regiment continuously nearly two years, 
participating with it in all the eventful campaigns in which it was engaged and ably dis- 
charging every duty confided to him. ''On June 22, 1864," says \''ail, in his history of the 
regiment, "he was detailed acting assistant adjutant-general on General L'pton's staff. In 
September he was appointed judge ad\-ocate of the division court-martial which tried twenty- 
five cases. At Cedar Creek (Oct. 19, 1864), he lost his right arm. The surgeons of Annapolis 
proposed to muster him out and discharge him for disability, but he protested, and wrote to 
General [Mackenzie, urging his interference. The consequence was that he was retained ; and 
in less than seven weeks from the time that he had an arm taken off at the shoulder he 
reported for full duty at the front, and was at once detailed as acting assistant adjutant-general 
of the brigade again, which detail was afterwards changed to brigade inspector. He subse- 
cjuently participated in several fights. He was detailed as judge advocate five different times, 
was brevetted major after Cedar Creek, promoted to major in Jamiary, 1865, brevetted lieu- 
tenant-colonel for Little Sailor's Creek, and colonel for services during the war." This brief 
and modest account of services, which were not only patriotic but heroic, has been quoted 
with due acknowledgement in Lewis's History of Litchfield count}- and in Tuttle's Genealogy. 



OF COXXECTICCr, iS6i-iSij4. 



39 



Upon being mustered out of the United States service in September, 1865, Col. Fenn 
returned to Connecticut and resumed the study of law in the oflfice of Messrs. Kelloo-o- & 
Terry, a prominent legal firm at Waterbury. He was admitted to the bar at Litchfield, 
Keb. 15, 1867, and then entered the Law School of Harvard University, where he studied 
one year, at the expiration of which he received the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Shortlv 
after resuming his studies at Waterbury he was chosen city clerk and held this ofBce one 
)ear. In 1S69, after having practiced law about a year at Waterbury, he removed to 
Plymouth in Litchfield county, where he resided and practiced until 1876. While at 
Plyinoutli he held the offices of judge of probate, town clerk and registrar, and in 1875 
he was the Republican candidate for the office of Secretary of the State of Connecticut. In 
1876 he removed to Winsted, Litchfield county, where he has since resided. In 1880 he 
was elected judge of probate for the Winchester district and held this office until March, 
18S7, when he resigned. In 1S84 he was elected a member of the General Assembly, and 
during his term .ser\ed on the judiciary committee and as house chairman of committee on 
forfeited rights. .\t this session he also was chosen one of the commission composed besides 
himself of the Hon. Luzon B. ]Morris, Henry S. Barbour, E. L. Cundall and William B. 
Glover, to revise the probate laws of the state, a labor to which he gave the most careful 
attention and which was finally completed to the eminent satisfaction of the people. At 
the close of the session he made the address to the speaker. In 1S84 Col. F^enn was a 
delegate to the National Democratic Con\ention which nominated Grover Cleveland for the 
presidency, and in that campaign he took an active part in securing his election. In 18S5 
he was appointed by Gov. Harrison of Connecticut a member of the commission charged 
with the revision of the general statutes of the state which reported the revision in 1888. 
In 1887 his high legal attainments received a fitting recognition b\- his appointment as jud"e 
of the superior court, a position he has since filled with ability and dignitv. 

He is at present chainnan of the committee appointed by the judges to examine applicants 
for admission to the bar. In the local affairs of Winsted, Judge Fenn takes a leading part, 
not only by reason of his prominence in the judiciary, but also because of his well known 
interest in every movement having for its object the improvement of the citizen or the 
advancement of the public. He is chainnan of the Winchester Soldiers' Memorial Park 
A.ssociation, an organization chartered by the General Assembly in 1889, and having for its 
object the erection of a monument and the maintenance of a memorial public park. He is 
also one of the tnistees of the Beardsley Librar\% the William L. Gilbert home (for neglected 
children) and the Gilbert school, all well known institutions founded by philanthropic 
citizens of Winsted and cherished by its residents and government. His scholarly tastes are 
well shown in his fine librar>- which, in addition to its being exceptionally full on the 
subject of jurisprudence, contains a large number of poetical works, on history, science, 
the arts, political econonn- and government. Notwithstanding the large demands made 
upon his time by his judicial and official duties, he has found leisure to prepare 
many articles for the press, and also many lectures and public addresses, a large num- 
ber of which have been published. Recenth' he has lectured somewhat extensively 
throughout the state, taking as his themes: "With Sheridan in the Shenandoah," "Mis- 
taken Identity," and "Points of Law we Ought to Know." He has delivered addresses at 
the dedication of many monuments erected in honor of the soldiers of the civil war, and has 
a wide reputation for his .stirring and beautiful tributes to the Union dead delivered on 
Decoration Day for many >ears. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and 
was the delegatc-at-large from his state to the National Encampment in 1889, and a Con- 
necticut member of the National Council of Administration in 1S90. He is also a member 



40 



REPRESENTATU'E MEN 



of the Knights of Pythias, the Winsted uniform division of which bears his name. He is 
also connected with several other organizations and societies, in all of which he is a man of 
mark and great popularity. In 1889 he was honored by Yale University with the degree of 
Master of Arts. 

Judge Fenn was married in 1868 to Frances ]\I. Smith, daughter of John E. Smith of 
Waterbirr}^ Conn., and has four children, two boys, Enior\- W. and Lincoln E., and two 
girls, Augusta F. and Lucia E. 




LATER, JOHN FOX, manufacturer and philanthropist, was born in the town 
of Smithfield, R. I., March 4, 1815.* 

For three generations the Slater family has been engaged, either in Eng- 
land or the United States, in the improvement of cotton manufactures. Their 
English home was at Belper, Derbyshire, where William Slater, a man of consid- 
erable propertv, the grandfather of John F. Slater, resided more than a hundred years ago, 
until his death in 1782. At Belper and at Milford, not far from Belper, Jedediah Strutt was 
engaged as a partner of vSir Richard Arkwright in the business of cotton-spinning, then just 
becoming one of the great branches of industry in England. 

Samuel Slater, fifth son of William Slater, was apprenticed to ]\Ir. vStrutt, and near the 
close of his ser\'ice was for some years general overseer of the mill at Milford. Having com- 
pleted his engagement he came to this country in 1789, and brought with him such an accurate 
knowledge of the business of cotton-spinning, that without any written or printed descriptions, 
without diagrams, or models, he was able to introduce the entire series of machines and pro- 
cesses of the Arkwright cotton manufacture in as perfect a form as it then existed in England. 
He soon came into relations with Moses Brown of Providence, and through him w'ith his son- 
in-law and his kinsman, William Almy and Smith Brown. With the persons last named he 
formed the partnership of Almy, Brown & Slater. For this firm, Samuel Slater devised 
machinery and established a mill for the manufacture of cotton, at Pawtucket, R. L, in 
the year 1790; but as this proved an inadequate enterprise, he constructed a larger mill at 
the same place in 1793. A few years later, about 1804, at the invitation of his brother 
Samuel, John Slater, a younger son of William, came from England and joined his brother 
in Rhode Island. The village of Slatersville, on a branch of the river Blackstone, was 
projected in 1S06, and here until the present time the Slaters have continued the manu- 
facture of cotton goods. 

John F. Slater was the son of John and Ruth vSlater. He received a good education in 
the academies of Plainfield in Connecticut, and of Wrentham and Wilbraham, ]\Iass. At the 
age of seventeen (in connection with Samuel Collier) he began to manage his father's mill at 
Hopeville, in Griswold, Conn. In 1856, having gained in experience and shown his ability 
as a manager, he took entire charge of this factor}- and also of a cotton mill at Jewett City, 
another village of the same town where he made his home. Six years later he removed to 
Norwich, with wdiich Jewett City was then connected by railway, and this city continued to 
be his place of residence until his death at the beginning of his seventieth year, ;\Iay 7, 1884. 
On the death of John Slater, May 27, 1843, his sons, John F. and William S., inherited 
his interest in the mills of Hopeville and Jewett City, Conn., and at Slatersville, R. I., and 
they formed a partnership under the name of J. & W. Slater, adjusting their affairs so as to 



^ This sketch is coudeused from a publislied memorial of Mr. Slater, from which liberal extracts have beeu made. 



# 





I 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 41 

be equal partners. In March, 1S45, this firm sold their Hopeville property, and in 1849 bought 
the interest of Samuel Slater's heirs in the mill at Slatersville. In 1853, after the lease of this 
last-mentioned property to A. D. and M. 15. Lockwood had expired, William S. Slater took 
the management of the Slatersville mill, and John V. Slater that of the Jewett City mill. 
The partnership of the brothers continued until Jan. i, 1873, when it was dissolved, each 
taking the uiili of which he had been the manager. 

When Mr. Slater became responsible for the mill at Jewell Cil\-, there were ninety looms 
in it, and at the time of his death this number had increased more than five fold, and as many 
yards of cloth were then made in five weeks as had previously been made in twelve months. 
During the forty years in which he operated this mill he maintained uninterruptedly the good- 
will of those whom he employed. He studied their welfare, and by so doing retained them in 
his ser\-ice. Probably it could not be said of any other mill in the countr\-, but it was true 
of the Jewett City mill, that every one of the seven overseers in different departments of the 
business had been in the service of the .same employer for at least seventeen years, four of 
them for periods varying from thirty to forty-eight years. It was always Mr. Slater's policy 
in the manipulation of his mill to keep a piece of machinery as long as it could do its work 
satisfactorily, by careful management, even if it did not in appearance compare favorably 
with that in other mills. He did not believe in continually trying experiments, but preferred 
waiting till a new thing had been proved to be a success before using it. When this was done 
no one was more ready to adopt an improvement. This, with a like policy in other particulars, 
was one of the chief reasons for his success as a manufacturer. 

In 1869, Mr. Slater, with others, united in completing a partially erected mill at Taftville 
and putting it in operation. It was organized under the name of the "Orray-Taft Manufac- 
turing Company," but two years later the name was changed to the " Ponemah Mills." He 
was one of the executive committee, and was president from the organization of the company 
until his death. Simple justice requires the .statement that the material part of the success 
was due to his counsel and prudence. 

Mr. Slater was an excellent judge of character in men, and especially of their ability and 
knowledge, and thus in his latter days his manufacturing business was so organized that he 
could give much of his time to other affairs, while he kept the reins in his own hands. It 
was always his effort to run the mill as many days in the year as possible, and in hard times 
or in war times to keep the machinery' in operation to the last moment. During the War of 
the Rebellion he continued to run his mill some time after most of the mills in his neighbor- 
hood had stopped, and in fact till cotton went up to sixty-seven cents per pound, never fearing 
but that the Union forces would be victorious. When the subject was agitated in 1872-73 
of shortening the hours of labor by one hour per day, he was one of the fir.st to apply the 
change to his own mills. 

It is generally supposed that Mr. Slater inherited a large fortune from his father. This, 
however, was not the case. Perhaps he may have had fifty thousand dollars from this source, 
but the foundation and the large part of the fortune which he accumulated were the results 
of his management of his mills. His mind was of sufl^cient calibre to grasp a \arietv of 
enterprises, including manufacturing, railroad and miscellaneous corporations. Never a 
speculator, it ma>- be confidently stated that e\en in his earlier days no shares of stock were 
ever purchased on a margin. In his later days, when his credit was almost limitless, it was 
never his custom to buy stocks with money advanced on credit, but always waited till he had 
the funds accunmlated and available for investment. For the last dozen years of his life 
Mr. Slater's interest in railroads was greater than in manufacturing. Though living quietly, 
away from the centers of trade and finance, he kept himself conversant with the great railroad 



42 



REPRESEXTA Til E MEX 



systems of the country, and was an authority on the subject in his neighborhood, as the 
number of calls and letters he received asking information would bear abundant testimony. 
Familiar with all his different interests, he carried the accounts so perfectly in his head, that 
if necessary he could correct the double entry books with which the record of his transactions 
was kept. With no office except in his house, he managed all his diverse operations with 
an ease which gave no impression of the magnitude of his concerns. 

Before his last great gift, Mr. Slater made generous contributions to religious and educa- 
tional enterprises. He was one of the original corporators of the Norwich Free Academy, to 
w'hich he gave at different times more than fifteen thousand dollars. To the construction of 
the Park Congregational Church, which he attended, he gave the sum of thirty-three thousand 
dollars, and subsequently a fund of ten thousand dollars, the income of which is to keep the 
edifice in repair. At the time of his death he was engaged in building a public library in 
Jewett City, which has since been completed at a cost of sixteen thousand dollars. His private 
benefactions and his contributions to benevolent societies were also numerous. During the 
war his sympathies were heartily with the Union, and he was a large purchaser of the govern- 
ment bonds when others doubted their security. 

Some years before his death ^fr. Slater formed the purpose of devoting a large sum of 
money to the education of the freedmen. It is believed that this humane project occurred to 
him, without suggestion from any other mind, in view of the apprehensions which all thoughtful 
persons felt, when after the war the duties of citizenship were suddenly imposed upon millions 
of emancipated slaves. Certainly, when he began to speak freely of his intentions, he had 
decided upon the amount of his gift and its scope. These were not open questions. He 
knew exactly what he wished to do. It was not to bestow charity upon the destitute, nor to 
encourage a few exceptional individuals ; it was not to build churches, school-houses, asylums 
or colleges ; it was not to establish one strong institution as a personal monument ; it was 
on the other hand, to help the people of the South in solving the great problem which had 
been forced upon them, — how to train, in varioiis places and under differing circumstances, 
those who have long been dependent, for the duties belonging to them now that they are 
free. This purpose was fixed. In respect to the best mode of organizing a trust, ]\Ir. Slater 
sought counsel of many experienced persons, — of the managers of the Peabody Educational 
Fund, in regard to their work ; of lawyers and those wdio had been in official life, with respect 
to questions of law and legislation ; of ministers, teachers and others who had been familiar 
with charitable and educational trusts, or who were particularly well informed in respect to 
the condition of the freedmen at the South. The results of all these consultations, which 
were continued during a period of several years, were at length reduced to a satisfactory 
form, and were embodied in a charter granted to a board of trustees by the state of New York, 
in the spring of 1882, and in a carefully thought out and written letter, addressed to those 
who were selected to admini.ster the trust. 

The characteristics of this gift were its Christian spirit, its patriotism, and its freedom 
from all secondary purposes or hampering conditions. In broad and general terms the donor 
indicated the object which he had in view; the details of management he left to others, 
confident that their collective wisdom and the experience they must acquire would devise 
better modes of procedure, as the years go on, than any individual could propose in advance. 
The w^ords which Mr. Slater employed to express his aim were these : 

The general object which I desire to have exclusively pursued, is the uplifting of the lately emancipated 
populatiou of the southern states and their posterity, by conferriug on them the blessings of Christian education. 
The disabilities formerly suffered by these people, and their singular patience and fidelity in the great crisis of the 
nation, establish a just claim on the sympathy and good will of humane and patriotic men. I cannot but feel the 
compassion that is due in view of their prevailing ignorance, which exists by no fault of their own. 



OF COXXECT/CUT, iS6i-iSi;^. 43 

But it is not only for their own sake, but also for the safety of our common country, in which thev have been 
invested with equal jiolitical ri.i;hts, that I am desirous to aid in providinj^ them with the means of such education 
as shall tend to make them j;ood men and jjood citizens, — eilucation in which the instruction of the mind in the 
common branches of secular learning shall be associated with training in just notions of duty toward God and man, 
in the light of the Holy Scriptures. 

The means to be used in the prosecution of the general object above described I leave to the discretion of 
the corporation; only indicating, as lines of operation adapted to the present condition of things, the training 
of teachers from among the people requiring to be taught, if, in the opinion of the corporation, by such limited 
selection the purposes of the trust can be best accomplished ; and the encouragement of such institutions as are 
most effectually useful in promoting this training of teachers. I am well aware that the work herein proposed 
is nothing new or untried. .\nd it is no small part of my satisfaction in taking this share in it, that I herebv 
associate myself with some of the noblest enterprises of charity and humanity, and may hope to encourage the 
prayers and toils of faithful men and women who have labored and are still laboring in this cause. 

On the i8th day of ilay, 1S82, Mr. Slater met the board of trustees in the city of New 
York and transferred to thein the sum of one million dollars, a little more than half of it 
being already invested, and the remainder beinjj cash to be invested at the discretion of 
the board. After completing their organization, the board addressed to the fonnder the 
following letter, which was signed by every member : 

Nkw York, May iS, 1882. 
To John F. St,.\ter. K.sq.. Norwich, Conn.: 

The members of the board of trustees whom you invited to take charge of the fund which you have 

. devoted to the education of the lately emancipated people of the southern states and their posterity, desire at 

the beginning of their work to place on record their appreciation of your purpose, and to congratulate you on 

having completed this wise and generous gift at a period of your life when you may hope to observe for many vears 

its beneficent influence. They wish especially to assure you of their gratification in V)eing called upon to 

administer a work so noble and timely. If this trust is successfully managed, it may, like the gift of George 

Peabody, lead to many other benefactions. As it tends to remove the ignorance of large numbers of those who 

have a vote in public affairs, it will promote the welfare of every part of our country, and vour generous action 

will receive, as it deserves, the thanks of good men and women in this and other lands. Your trustees unite in 

wishing you long life and health, that you may have the satisfaction of seeing the result of your patriotic forecast. 

Since that time the trustees have met frequently and made appropriations in accordance 
with the founder's wishes. As a general agent, they made choice of the Rev. A. G. Havgood, 
D. D., of Oxford, Ga., who was .succeeded in 1890 by Dr. J. L. M. Currv, also general 
manager of the Peabody fund. 

The appreciation of Congress was shown by the following resolution : 

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress as.sembled. 
that the thanks of Congress be, and they herel)y are. presented to John F. Slater, of Connecticut, for his great 
beneficence in giving the. large sum of one million dollars for the purpose of "uplifting the lately emancipated 
population of the southern states and their posterity, by conferring on them the blessings of Christian education." 

SiiCTlON 2. That it shall be the duty of the President to cause a gold medal to be struck, with suitable 
devices and inscriptions, which, together with a copy of this resolution, shall be presented to Jlr. Slater in the 
name of the people of the United States. 

After giving an exceedingly fair and just e.stimate of .Mr. Slater's character in a memorial 
address, his pastor. Rev. S. H. Howe, D. D., said: "The gift of Mr. Slater was one of 
striking originality and uniqueness. Originating without suggestion from others, wholK- with 
himself, and elaborated to its minutest detail in his own thought, he chose to make his 
offering, not to conspicuous institutions whose name or whose work should hold the giver 
perpetually in the public eye, but, crossing the whole diameter of society, he carried it to 
the lowest groove in our social and national life, to the poorest of this nation's poor, and 
set it to work in spreading intelligence and building character in the present and oncoming 
generation of a lowly race. With the sagacity of wise statesmanship and the fer\or of 
purest patriotism and the spirit of the Christian, he went to the lowest place and to the 
weakest spot in our national fabric to strengthen it; to put a rock bottom underneath the 
foundation of the nati<jn he loved and we all love so well. He did one of the things which 
the Christ, were He to come again, would commission His servants unto whom God has pleased 



44 REPRESENTATirE AfEN 

to grant prosperity in business to do, a work whose far-reaching influences on the life of the 
nation no eye can )et foresee. We liave done full honor to the brave men who were the 
inaugurators of the movement which cut the fetters of the slave, and to the brave armies 
which fought the desperate battle to its successful issue. We to-day, and we .shall more 
fully in the future, do honor to a man who with others has taken up the more difficult 
work of rehabilitating the emancipated slave, clothing him with the intelligence and the 
manhood which qualify him for citizenship. It is a noble thing to break a slave's fetters, 
but it is equally noble to help the slave to manhood, and give his race a future. At the 
end of the next generation, and of the next and of the next, when this munificent charity 
has gone into the culture and recovered manhood of the colored race, ]Mr. Slater's work will 
be appreciated at its real and its far-reaching worth." 

John F. Slater was married May 13, 1844, to Marianna L., daughter of Amos H. Hubbard. 
Six children were born to them, of whom only the oldest and the youngest, a daughter and 
a son, survived the period of infancy, and of these the son alone is now living. William 
A. Slater is continuing the good work his father began, and by numerous benefactions to 
his native city and elsewhere is giving expression to the kindness of his heart. 




jl'P^i^EWELL, PLINY, of Hartford, president of the Jewell Belting Company and 
various other corporations, was born Sept. i, 1823, in Winchester, N. H. This 
^^ ancient town was the residence of the Jewell family for several generations. 
The record of the family line has been preserx-ed unbroken for over 250 
years. The list of the descendants of Thomas Jewell, published in the Jezvell 
Register^ says that gentleman was probably born in England about the year 1600, and that 
sundry considerations lead to the conjecture that he was of the same stock as Bishop Jewell, 
one of the early fathers of the English Protestant Episcopal Church. Thomas Jewell appears 
in the Boston Record of Feb. 24, 1639, as the recipient of an additional grant of twelve acres of 
land. He married Grisell Gurney, by whom he had se\-eral sons and daughters, and died in 1654. 
His son Joseph, born April 24, 1642, first lived in Charlestown, Mass., and kept the ferry 
between that place and Boston; about the age of fifty, he moved to Stow, ]\Iass., and died 
there at an unrecorded date. Joseph Jewell, Jr., was born in June, 1673, and died at Dudley, 
Mass., in 1766. He was married Sept. 14, 1704, to IMary Morris of Boston, the ceremony 
being performed b}- the Rev. Cotton Mather. Of their six children, the fifth, Archibald, was 
born April 8, 1716, at Plainfield, Conn., the family in the meantime having moved to this 
state. Archibald Jewell married Rebecca Leonard, Jan. 6, 1741, and was the father of eleven 
children. The second of these, Asahel, was born Aug. 2, 1744, married Hannah Wright 
Nov. 5, 1767, by whom he had ten children, and died April 30, 1790. Asahel Jewell, Jr., 
was born May 16, 1776, just before the Declaration of Independence. He married Hepzibah 
Chamberlain, Feb. 21, 1797, and was the father of six children, of whom Pliny, the eldest, 
was born Dec. 27, 1797. 

Pliny Jewell was an active member of the Congregational Church, and was politically 
identified with the old Whig party, and was at several different times elected to the New 
Hampshire legislature. For many years he carried on business as a tanner in that state, 
and in 1845 he removed to Hartford, where he continued dealing in and finishing of leather, 
and later added the manufacture of leather belting and tanning. The business of which he 
laid the foundation so solidly is now successfully managed by his sons. He married Emily 



OF CONNECT/ Ci'T, 1 861-1894. 45 

Alexander, Sept. 9, 1819. Ten children were the result of this union, of whom Pliny Jewell 
was the tliird. Marshall Jewell, three times governor of Connecticut, and minister to Russia, 
and postmastev-<i;eneral under President Grant, was one of the sons, and a sketch of his life 
will be found elsewhere in this volume. 

The history of the firm is so clearly and truthfully told in a carefully compiled book, 
issued by the Hartford Board of Trade in 18S9, that it is reproduced here as a whole: 

Pliny Jewell, Sr., born at Winchester, N. H., in 1797, came to Hartford in 1845, anil began active life in his 
new home by enga};in),; in the leather and currying business. For several generations his ancestors in the male line 
had lieen tanners, so that he brought to the work all the knowledge and skill of the time. In 1848 he opened 
a shop on Trumbull street for making leather belts, having been the third person in America to engage in 
this special business. The father and his sons after him did much to educate the manufacturers of the I'nitcd 
States, and indirectly of Europe, to substitute this m;ans for the conveyance of pawer in place of the costly 
and cumbersome system of gearing then largely in use. For a number of years work in the shop was per- 
formed almost entirely by hand, the few mechanical appliances employed being rude and primitive. Four of 
the five .sons, — Pliny, Jr., Marshall, Charles A., and Lyman B., — were successively admitted into the partnership, 
which, under the name of P. Jewell & Sous, soon won a world-wide reputation for the magnitude and excellence 
of its product. 

In 1863, the firm bought the plating factory of the Rogers Brothers, at the corner of Trumbull and Hicks 
streets, which they enlarged and partially rebuilt. The structure is now 185 x 44 feet, five stories high, 
with an L of three stories. Three years ago, in order to accommodate their increasing business, thev added 
another buililiug adjoining their old property, 100 x 60 feet, and five stories high. With an abundance of room, 
and steam power and machinery — invented mostly by manufacturers of shoes, but adapted by the firm to the 
requirements of belt-making, — the business, under the stimulus imparted hy the war, expanded with great rapidity. 

About 1856, they established a tannerj' at Detroit, Mich., where, for twenty-five years, their leather was 
chiefly prepared. At present they are operating large tanneries both at Rome, Ga.. and Jellico, Teun., whence 
their materials for belting are now almost exclusively drawn. With the destruction of forests in Michigan, 
it has been found more profitable to use the works at Detroit for the production of other grades of leather, 
the proximity of an aljundance of oak giving to the southern locations an advantage which greatlv outweighs the 
disadvantages. In 1869. at the ripe age of seventy-two, Pliny Jewell, Sr., passed away, having lived to seethe 
establishment he founded the largest of the kind in the country, and bequeathing, as a still more precious 
inheritance, the record of a noble and spotless life. 

The education of the younger Pliny Jewell was obtained chiefly at the little red school house 
at the fork of the roads, with an occasional three months' instruction in a school of a 
higher grade which was provided in the autumn of each year, in the center of the town, 
for pupils that had exhausted the resources of the district school. These are all the 
advantages that any of the joung Jewells ever possessed except Harvey, the eldest, who 
was a graduate of Dartmouth college at Hanover. 

Under the act of incorporation granted by the state in 18S1, the Jewell Belting Company 
was organized in April, 1883, as the .successors of P. Jewell & Sons. The executive officers 
are Pliny Jewell, president; Lyman B. Jewell, vice-president; Charles A. Jewell, treasurer; 
and Charles PC. Newton, .secretary-. From this industry- there ha\e been developed by suc- 
cessive steps the Jewell P.clt Hook Company, the Jewell Pin Company, and the Jewell Pad 
Company, each company being a thriving business in it.self. In this trio of corporations 
Mr. Jewell is a stockholder, and of them all he fills the office of president. The manu- 
facturing operations of the allied industries are carried on in one or another of the 
cluster of factories which constitute the plant of the Jewell Belting Company, the parent 
establishment. 

Official life has had little attraction for Mr. Jewell, and his tastes have led him to 
remain in the ranks of the private citizens of the state. Banking and business coqiora- 
tions have sought the benefit of his knowledge of affairs and long experience. He is a 
director in the Hartford National Bank, the Travelers' Insurance Company, and the Phrenix 
Fire Insurance Company, and is a trustee of the Hartford Trust Company. Out.side of these, 
his activities are centered in the companies of which he is a stockholder. Taking 



46 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

a zealous interest in all that pertains to the welfare and advancement of the city of his 
adoption, he is one of the vice-presidents of the Hartford Board of Trade and is a member 
of the Hartford Club. 

Practically the whole of Mr. Jewell's life has been spent in connection with the leather 
business, and with all its details he is intelligently familiar. Such intimate knowledge of 
the processes of manufacture and such a grasp upon all the forces of the business world, 
have naturally carried material success in their train. Although having reached the Biblical 
limit of three-score and ten, he is still in perfect health, and quite as active in the business 
as he ever has been, continuing in the command and general direction of every depart- 
ment, ably assisted by his two brothers, and his energetic and efficient secretary, Mr. Charles 
E. Newton. He gives more particular attention to the manufacturing department, which 
he has kept well in hand up to the present time, and proposes to as long as his strength 
and health hold out. 

In political life Mr. Jewell is a Republican of the stalwart kind, having been one of 
the original organizers of the party in this state. Though accepting no preferment at the 
the hands of his party associates, he has been a member since the days of Fremont and 
Lincoln. His religious connections are with the Pearl Street Congregational Church and 
Society, -and his gifts are liberal for the support of public worship. 

Pliny Jewell was married Sept. 5, 1845, to Caroline Amelia, daughter of William and 
Matilda Bradbury of Manchester, England. Their two children are Edward, born Jan. 26, 
1847, now a prominent leather dealer in Boston, and Emily ]\Iaria, now the wife of ]Mr. 
Walter Sanford, the artist, of Hartford 



rV-VW-ftj^LLEN, JEREMIAH MERVIN, of Hartford, president of the Hartford Steam 
C^WVr^ Boiler Inspection and Insurance Compan}-. 

g^ Till quite recently, young Americans, conscious of ability and eager for a 

career, were largely attracted to the "learned" professions. Graduates from 
the academv and from college, when confronted with the necessity of choosing 
a vocation, felt almost confined to the pulpit, the bar, medicine, and teaching. Within half 
a centur\' the marvellous progress of science, with the countless applications of its discoveries 
to practical affairs, has given a new trend to ambition, by opening fresh and illimitable fields 
to human effort. While the ancient highways, worn by the monotonous tread of generations, 
are still thronged with dustv travellers, pursuits variously combining science with business 
now attract with growing force keen and adventurous minds. On one line of this manifold 
and wonderful development the subject of this sketch has been both pioneer and creator, 
having built up an institution that has brought ample returns to the holders of its shares, 
while reaching with its beneficence e^•er^' part of the conntr}- and bej-ond. 

From Samuel Allen, the emigrant ancestor who settled in Cambridge, IMass., in 1632, 
Jeremiah M. Allen was the seventh in descent, and comes of sturdy Puritan stock. General 
Ethan Allen was a descendant of Sanmel. The family intermarried with the branch of the 
Adams family that ga\-e Samuel and John to the Revolution. A taste for science and mechanics 
seeu'is for a long period to have been transmitted from father to son. One was an astronomer 
at a time when the appearance of "Allen's New England Almanac" was welcomed as a 
notable event of the }-ear. Another was one of the earliest in this country- to engage in the 
manufacture of telescopes and microscopes. Others were contractors and builders. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 47 

J. M. Allen, son of Jeremiah V. and Emily (Pease) Allen, was born at Enfield, Conn., 
jMay uS, 1833. He was edncated at the academy in Westfield, Mass., with the view of 
becomiiif^ a civil engineer. Snbseqnently he tanght for fonr years, diligently improving 
leisure moments in reading and stndy. In 1S65, he was made the general agent and adjuster 
of the Merchants' Insurance Company of Hartford, and later he accepted a similar position 
in the Security Fire Insurance Company of New York Cit\-. In both places he labored 
with characteristic fidelity, and with a success that attracted the attention of in.surance circles. 
Meanwhile the life-work for which Mr. Allen had been studiouslv but unconsciously preparing, 
fell to him unsought. How the conception of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and 
Insurance Company took form, and how it grew from weakness to strength, are concisely 
told in the descriptive and historical volume, " Hartford in 1889," written b\- P. H. Woodward. 

In the year 1857, a coterie of young men in Hartford, drawn together by similarity of tastes, organized 
the "Polytechnic Club" with the view, primarily, of investigating and discussing questions of science in relation 
to the utilities of practical life. Among the members were Elisha K. Root, who succeeded Colonel Colt in 
the presidency of the armory, Francis A. Pratt, Amos W. Whitney, E. JI. Reed, Professor C. B. Richards 
of Yale, Charles K. Howard, Joseph Blanchard, J. M. .\llen, and others. Although few in number, they have, 
on different lines of effort, made a marked impression on the events of the period. About this time Professor 
Tyndall threw out the suggestion incidentally in one of his lectures that the spheroidal condition of water on 
the fire-plates of boilers might be the cause of disastrous explosions. The hint, for it was scarcely more, 
became the text of frequent talks regarding the cause of such explosions and the best methods of prevention. 
Meanwhile, Mr. Reed, on returning from a European trip, brought home the results of late experiments conducted 
under the direction of .Sir William Fairbairn. It also became known that the Manchester Steam Users' .\ssociation 
had already been organized in England with the view of preventing boiler explosions by periodical inspection. 
Under the system as started there, the manufacturer paid a certain sum annually for the examination, receiving 
in return either a certificate of the safe condition of his boiler, or a report condenming it, but the certificate, 
like those in some places since issued by direct appointees of the state, involved no pecuniary oblig.ition 
whatever, and if disaster occurred, the paper, while relieving the holiler from the charge of carelessness, entitled 
him to no indemnity. 

.•\lthough not one of the members of the Polytechnic Club was connected with insurance, the body 
unconsciously drew inspiration from the local predominance of the interest, which was then making Hartford 
famous as the home of skilled underwriters. In the course of the debates on the subject the attention of 
the young men was attracted to the feasibility of combining a guaranty with the inspection, thus giving both 
parties to the contract a pecuniary interest in the safety of the boiler. So far as known, the conception 
had not at that time materialized elsewhere. Although distinctly evolved in the club, the seminal idea waited 
several years for further development on account of the intervention of the civil war. 

With the return of peace, the subject was revived, and in May, 1866, prominent manufacturers in and out 
of the state secured a charter empowering the company formed under it "to inspect steam boilers and insure 
the owners against loss or damage arising from boiler explosions." In the following November the companv 
was organized, when J. M. .\llen, who had given much study to this and related subjects, was urged to take the 
management, but. having made other engagements for the year, was compelled to decline. E. C. Roberts was 
accordingly elected president, and H. H. Hayden, secretary. In October, 1S67, Mr. .\llen succeeded to the 
presidency, and under his care a sickly infant, seriously threatened more than once with early death, has in 
twenty years grown into present usefulness, strength and influence. 

For a long time the process was slow and the way wearisome. Most seemed to regard the new departure 
as a useless novelty that must soon run its short-lived course. What will Hartford people undertake to insure 
next? was a question often asked in tones of undisguised derision. In the hands of a manager less firm in 
conviction or less conciliatory in manner, the prophecy of disaster must have wrought its own fuirilment. Mr. 
Allen met the flavor of sarcasm with the antidote of pleasantry, and toiled on to create a demand which it should 
be his future business to supply. For the first five years the company occupieil a single room sixteen or eighteen 
feet square, an<l for the same period the floor of the vault was spread with papers for the protection of the books, 
from the unwillingness of the officers to go to the extravagance of fitting it up with shelves. In a moment of 
self-indulgtnce the president did invest fourteen dollars in a desk for his own use. but such outbreaks of luxury 
seldom occurred. 

Before the establishment of the company, the destniction of life, limb, and property 
through the ignorance of boiler-makers, and the incompetence of "engineers," filled a wide 
space in the daily record of ca.sualties. To reduce and ultimately eliminate the hazards 
arising from the use of steam has been the constant aim of the management. B\- fnnuent 



48 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

and thorough inspections, defects are detected in their incipiency and the proper remedies 
applied. Stnictvires so worn or fanlty as to approach the danger line are peremptorily 
condemned. No chances are taken, no compromises with peril allowed. As a result, the 
explosions of boilers under care of the company now scarcely reach one in ten thonsand per 
anmini. \'iewed as a work of beneficence, few attempts in the line of philanthropy have been 
eqnally fruitful . The heavy drain on the premiums charged to the insured comes not from 
payment of losses, but from cost of inspections. About one hundred and twenty experts 
are constantly employed in making examinations. From the outset, Mr. Allen introduced 
rigidly scientific methods in collecting and classifying facts. So far have his inquiries been 
pushed that he has prepared many formulae that set forth with mathematical precision the 
strength of materials under a great variety of arrangement and conditions. Although 
in\aluable to the company, these do not appear in its list of assets. 

In 1867, Mr. Allen began the publication of the Locomoiive^ an illustrated monthly, 
intended primarily to explain in detail the causes and character of specific boiler explosions, 
but afterwards so enlarged in scope that it has long been an exponent of the most advanced 
studies respecting the steam boiler and cognate subjects. The magazine was changed to 
its present form in 1880, and has attained a circulation of twenty-five thousand. The home 
oihce is a storehouse of facts and statistics relating to every phase of the business. Of the 
whole, all the patrons have the benefit without charge. 

Mr. Allen has furnished plans for many of the most extensive steam plants in the country. 
As the designs aim, by strictly scientific methods, to secure the highest degree of economy, 
efficiency, and safety, the saving in operation as compared with the superseded systems 
has often sufficed in a few years to offset the first cost of the outfit. The company has a 
laboratoiA' for the anahsis of waters, and for such as are injurious to boilers the proper chemical 
remedies are prescribed. Toward makers it holds an attitude of entire impartiality, permitting 
no officer or employee to have any pecuniar}- interest in any appliance connected with the 
trade. The growth and strength of the company can best be studied in the reports of the 
state insurance commissioners. 

For Sept. 16, 1892, the twenty-fifth anniversary of Mr. Allen's election to the presidency, 

his associates in conducting the business in all parts of the country arranged a surprise, 

as touching to the principal person in the drama as it was unexpected. Being absent from 

the city he was summoned back by telegraph, and returned under the apprehension that 

unpleasant news awaited him. Hurrying from the station to his residence, he was relieved 

to meet the welcome of a throng of familiar and beaming faces. Theodore H. Babcock, 

manager of the New York department of the company, speaking for all, said that the "silver 

anniversary" was regarded by officers, clerks, agents and inspectors of all degrees, as an 

appropriate time to show the universal esteem in which he was held by them. He was then 

taken into the next room to see the material forms in which goodwill and affection had 

found embodiment. There reposed a solid silver tea service^ salver, and complete set of 

dinner, dessert, and tea cutler\', and spoons of silver. In all there were one hundred and one 

pieces of exquisite workmanship. .\ plate on the large mahogany case containing most of the 

treasures, bears this inscription : 

1867 Presented to J. M. Allen 1892 

Bv Officers, Agents, Inspectors and 

Employees of the 

Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection 

AND Insurance Compan-v-. 

Besides the silver, there was an elegant album containing the photogTaphs of about fifty 

persoi:s connected with the compau}-, and autograph letters of congratulation in verse and prose. 



OF COXXECTICU'r, 1861-1894. 49 

In iSSS, the Hartford Board of Trade was organized. At the earnest solicitation of the 
directors, Mr. Allen took the presidency, and has held it continnonsly since. For a lon;^ period 
the growth of the city had been painfnlly slow ; several enterprises had been torn np by the 
roots to be transplanted in other soil, an?l despondency prevailed. Largely throiigh the efforts 
of this association a remarkable change soon became apparent. The town, after a long sleep, 
seems to have entered upon a new career with the energy and courage of j'outli renewed. 
In the annual reports of the board may be found the details of the movement. Of the 
causes of the change let the Coiirani bear witness : 

N'o other siiij;Ie aj;ency has coiitributetl so much to this result as the liartforii Boanl of Trade, with Mr. 
J. M. .-Mleii as its tactful and judicious president, and Mr. P. H. Woodward as its untiring secretary, full of 
energy and resources. The turn of affairs dates from the time when the Board of Trade began to be felt as 
a factor here. It concentrated public spirit, caught the common interest of the community, and roused the 
people to a fuller sense of what this place is and may be. 

Mr. Allen's ser\-ices have been widely sought in the management of corporations and 
trusts, and though often obliged from pressure of other duties to decline, he is a director in 
the Security Company, the Connecticut River Banking Company, the Orient Insurance Com- 
pany, and the Society for Savings. He is as.sociate executor and trustee of the estates left 
by John S. Welles and Newton Ca.se, amounting together to more than $1,500,000. He 
belongs to an order of men, unfortunately too rare, whom the entire community by an unerr- 
ing instinct recognizes as honest, honorable, and certain to prove faithful to whatever trust 
the}- may assume. 

For many years Mr. .-Vllcn has Ijeen trustee of the Hartford Theological Seminary. 
When the institution first moved to the city, it occupied rented quarters on Prospect 
street. It now owns modern and .spacious buildings in a choice location. Its finances 
have impro\ed correspondingly. Jan. 18, 1S93, the Case Memorial Library was dedicated, Mr. 
Allen delivering the historical address. His part in the work is thus referred to in the report 
for 1S93 of the secretan,- of the Board of Trade: -'The building, as a whole and in detail, 
originated in the brain of J. M. Allen, whose scientific knowledge and varied skill in 
handling force and matter ha\e found embodiment in many diverse and widely scattered forms." 

Mr. Allen is non-resident lecturer of Sibley College and Cornell University, and a 
member of several scientific, literary, and historical societies, including the American Associa- 
tion for the Advancement of Science, the American Association of Mechanical Engineers, the 
American Acadenn- of Political and Social Science (Philadelphia), the American Historical 
Association ( Wa.shington, D. C), the Connecticut Historical Society, etc., etc. 

With little time or taste for the .scrambles of politics, Mr. .Mien has rarely accepted 
municipal office, and then only to promote some matter of public welfare in which he took 
deep interest. It would be tedious to enumerate his particular .services. A person of 
capability and public spirit is always heavily loaded with cares. Perhaps the gift most 
impressive to intimate associates is his readiness in overcoming physical obstructions and 
annoyances by the application of principles of science. 

Mr. Allen married, April 10, 1856, Harriet, daughter of Hermon C. and Mary A. Griswold 
of Ellington, Conn., and has two children, Elizabeth Turner, wife of C. E. Roberts, and 
William H. Allen. Mr. Roberts is the manager and W. H. Allen is the assistant manager of 
the Boston office of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company. 




50 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

jjRANKLIN, WILLIAM BUEL, president of the board of managers of the 
National Home for disabled volunteer soldiers and \-ice-president of the Hartford 
Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, and ex-major-general United 
States volunteers, was born in York, Pa., Feb. 27, 1823. 

His father was Walter S. Franklin, who was clerk of the United States 
House of Representatives at the time of his death, in 1838 ; and his great-grandfather was 
Thomas Franklin of Philadelphia, commissary of prisoners during the War of the Revolution, 
who married Mary Rhoads, a daughter of Samuel Rhoads, a member from Pennsylvania of 
the first Continental congress. The family came from Flushing, L,. I- His mother was a 
daughter of Dr. William Buel of Litchfield, Conn., who was a descendant of Peter Buel 
of Windsor, Conn. 

Choosing a military career for himself, he secured an appointment as cadet at the United 
States Acadeni)' at West Point, in June, 1839. Passing through the regular curriculum of 
the institution, he graduated and was brevetted second lieutenant of topographical engineers 
four years later in July, 1843. The next two years were spent in extended service on the 
western lakes and the Rocky Mountains. After another year in the Topographical office 
at Washington, he was appointed second lieutenant in that service Sept. 11, 1846. His first 
real experience as a soldier was received during the Mexican War. For gallant and meritorious 
conduct at the battle of Buena Vista, he was appointed first lieutenant, Feb. 23, 1S47. He was 
assistant professor of natural and experimental philosophy at the military academy from July, 
1848, to Januar}-, 1851. Again came a couple of years of active life, during which he was 
engaged on ser\'ice along the Atlantic coast. On March 3, 1853, he was commissioned first 
lieutenant of topographical engineers, and until 1857 was assigned the duties in connection 
with lighthouse work or custom house engineering. In March, 1857, he was appointed secre- 
tary of the lighthouse board, and in October of the last named year he was commissioned 
captain of topographical engineers, for fourteen continuous years in that department. In 
November, 1859, he was appointed superintendent of the capitol and post-office buildings, and 
in March, 1861, was appointed supervising architect of the treasury department at Washington. 
In the terrible conflict between the North and South, he gained undying fame for himself. 
Commissioned colonel of the twelfth United States infantry. May 14, 1861, three days later 
he was elevated to the rank of brigadier-general United States volunteers. In the Manassas 
campaign, and at the battle of Bull Run, he was in command of a brigade, and until ^larch, 
1862, he was in command of divisions about the defence of the capital. General Franklin 
took an honorable part in the Virginia peninsular campaign, and on June 30, 1862, he was 
brevetted brigadier-general of the United States Army ' ' for gallant and meritorious conduct ' ' 
in the battle before Richmond, Va., and was appointed major-general of volunteers on July 4, 
1862. In the Maryland campaign he was in connnand of the sixth army corps, and in the 
battle of South Mountain, Sept. 14, 1862, commanded the left wing of the army of the 
Potomac, carrjing Crampton's Gap by assault, gaining a signal victory. He commanded 
the sixth corps in the battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862. He commanded the left wing of 
the army of the Potomac, Dec. 12, 1862, when the army was so disastrously defeated under 
the command of General Burnside. In June, 1863, he was ordered to the department of the 
Gulf, and served in Texas and Louisiana until April, 1864, when he succumbed to a wound 
received at the battle of Sabine Cross Roads, where two hoi'ses were shot under him, and was 
given his first leave of absence until November of the same year. During this time he was 
captured by rebel raiders on the Philadelphia and Baltimore railroad, but fortunately escaped 
from them the next night. I'rom December, 1864, to November, 1865, General Franklin 
was president of the board for retiring disabled officers at Wilmington, Del. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 51 

In March, 1865, he received additional honor by being brevctted major general of the 
United States Army, and jnst one year later he resigned his commission and retired to private 
life. In the varions trying positions in which he was placed, he always acquitted himself 
with honor, and his military record is one of which he has just cause to be proud. Servinp- 
his country faithfully, he risked his life in her defence, and his name should be inscribed 
high on her roll of fame. 

Selecting Hartford as his future residence, he removed to that city in 1865. In November 
of that year he was chosen vice-president and general manager of the Colt's Patent Fire Arms 
Company, and retained that position until April, 1888. In 1868, he was elected president 
of the board of visitors of the United States military academy. When the new state capitol 
was to be erected, he was selected as the most suitable person to act as president of the com- 
mission for the erection of the new state house in 1S72-73 ; was consulting engineer from 1873 
to 1877, and superintendent from 1877 to March i, 18S0. The magnificent capitol is now 
the pride of all the citizens of the state, and it is a remarkable fact that the cost of erection 
was kept within the appropriations made by the legislature. In all the details of construction, 
General Franklin's controlling hand could be felt and his vigilance was never relaxed. For 
the fifteen years from 1863 to 1878 he was a member of the board of water commissioners, 
and here his experience as an engineer was useful on numerous occasions. At the Centennial 
exhibition. General Franklin was chairman of the committee of judges on engineering and 
architecture. 

In 1876, he was chosen one of the presidential electors on the Democratic ticket, and 
took part in the convention which nominated Mr. Tilden. From 1S77 to 1879 he was adjutant- 
general of the State of Connecticut, and since July, 1880, he has been president of the board 
of managers of the National Home for disabled soldiers. Additional honors still awaited him. 
In June, 1888, he was appointed commissioner-general for the United States at the Inter- 
national Exposition at Paris, F^rance, and in October of the following jear he received the 
appointment of grand officer of the French Legion of Honor, — a high compliment to be paid 
an American. A member of the New York Commanden*- of the Legion of Honor, he was 
for several terms its commander. His interest in secret societies is not confined to one section. 
He is a member of the Cincinnati, of the Sons of the American Rexolution, of R. O. Tyler 
Post, No. 50, Grand Army of the Republic, and of the Army and Navy Club. He .still retains 
his hold on the business world, and is vice-president of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection 
and Insurance Company, and a director of the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, 
and of the National Fire Insurance Company of Hartford. He is also a director of the 
Panama Railroad Company. 

That General Franklin attained high rank as an engineer, is evidenced bv his various 
deser\-ed promotions. No man could rise to the rank of major-general during the late war 
unless he was a bora leader of men, and unless he had rare capacity for handling large 
bodies of troops. Returning to pri\ate life, unless he had executive ability of the highest 
order, combined with a superabundance of practical common sense, no man could be the 
controlling spirit of an immense corporation for over twenty years. Unless he was popular 
in the tniest and best sense of the word, no man could have filled the honorable positions 
which have been awarded to General Franklin without any seeking on his part. 

William B. Franklin was married July 7, 1852, to Anna L. Clarke, daughter of Matthew 
St. Clair Clarke and Hannah B. Clarke of Washington, D. C. There are no children. 




52 " REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

RENTICE, AMOS WYLIE, of Nonvich, merchant and ex-state senator, was born 
in Griswold, Conn., Dec. 20, 1816. 

Amos Prentice, father of A. W. Prentice, was the son of John Prentice of 
.^^^ Griswold. His life was devoted to agricnltural pursuits. He married Lucy 
Wylie, by whom he had two sons. The youngest enlisted in the army for 
defence of his country', and died in New York during the war. 

Receiving simply a common school education, young Prentice, by hard stud\- and persist- 
ent application, laid the foundation for a successful business and public career. He transferred 
his residence to Nonvich in 1823, and has made that city his home almost continuoush- ever 
since. His first business experience was as clerk for W. A. Buckingham, subsequently the war 
governor of the state. In 1831 Mr. Prentice entered the employ of ]Mr. John Breed, a hardware 
merchant, in the store which proved to be his business home for the larger part of his life. 
Such was his faithfulness and zeal that in 1S40 he was made a member of the firm, the 
name becoming John Breed «S: Co. In 1856 ]\Ir. Breed went into a different line of business, 
and, with Mr. Amos C. Williams, Mr. Prentice continued the sale of hardware specialties 
under the old name. Six years later Mr. Williams died, and Air. Prentice formed a new 
partnership with Messrs. William A. Williams and Francis A. Dbrrance, taking the name 
of A. W. Prentice & Co. This connection lasted till 1888, when Mr. Prentice sold out his 
interest to his clerks who had been with him for a long series of years. The firm name now 
is Eaton, Chase & Co., the latter being ]\Ir. Prentice's son-in-law, and they carry on business 
along the same lines on which it was established nearly se\-enty years ago. 

Mr. Prentice has devoted no small share of his time and talents to the management of 
financial institutions. He has been president of the Norwich Savings Society since iSgo. 
With one exception, this is the largest savings institution in Connecticut. He has been 
senior director of the First National Bank of Norwich for over twenty-five years. Besides 
the financial organizations mentioned, Mr. Prentice is a director in the Richmond Stove 
Compau}-, and other companies of lesser note, and is a trustee of the Norwich Free Academy. 

Men of Mr. Prentice's stamp must expect to have of^cial stations tendered them for 
acceptance. In 1854 he represented the old eighth senatorial district at the state capitol, 
and served on the committee on state prisons as chairman. Among his colleagues that 
year were Hon. James Dixon, subsequently United States Senator, Gov. Henry B. Harrison, 
and the late Gov. William T. Minor. In 1859 his fellow citizens elected him mayor of 
Norwich, and it was during his term of ofSce that the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary 
of the founding of the city was celebrated. He was equal to all the responsibilities of the 
occasion, and nothing occurred to mar the festivities of the day. Mr. Prentice ser\-ed his 
constituents so satisfactorily that he was re-elected the following year. The year 1877 
again found him at the capital of the state, this time as the representati\e of his city in 
tlie lower branch of the legislature. Hon. Lynde Harrison, Lieutenant-Governor Gallup, Ex- 
Comptroller Chauncey Howard, and others who have since gained eminence in state affairs, 
were also members the same year. Mr. Prentice served on the Republican side, and along 
various lines exerted an important influence during the session. He was a member of the 
judiciary committee, which is usually composed of lawyers, and was appointed on a special 
committee on the examination of the state capitol. 

The religious affiliations of Mr. Prentice are with the Broadway Congregational Church, 
of which he has been deacon for o\-er twenty }ears, following Governor Buckingham. His 
course during his long residence in Norwich has greatly endeared him to its citizens, and 
he is held in the highest esteem by men of all political parties and of all denominational beliefs. 

May 18, 1840, Mr. Prentice was married to Hannah E. Parker. She died Dec. 24, 1887, 
and of her four children, one married daughter is still living — ]\Irs. A. H. Chase. 




*>*!?«■ 




4 




7^5^ 





OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 53 



JRANDEGEE, AUGUSTUS, ex-member of Congress and ex-mayor of New 

London, was born in that city, July 15, 1828. 

" He is the yonngest of the three sons of John Brandegee," says the Biograplty 
of Cimnccticiit. "His father moved when a lad from Berlin, Conn., to New 

Orleans, where he acquired a competency as a broker in cotton. He served as 
a member of the City Guards under General Jackson, and was engaged in the celebrated 
battle of Jan. 8, 1815, in which General Packenham and the flower of the British army were 
defeated. His mother, whose maiden name was Mary Ann Deshon, was descended from 
Huguenot ancestors who were driven from France by the revocation of the ' Edict of Nantes.' 
His grandfather, Capt. Daniel Deshon, was appointed in 1777 to command the armed vessel, 
' Old Defence,' which was built and commissioned by the state of Connecticut for service 
against the British in the Rcvolutionar\- War. His two grand-uncles, John and Richard 
De.shon, served with conspicuous gallantry as captains of the Connecticut forces in the Revo- 
hitionary army. 

" Young Brandegee laid the foundations of a classical education at the Union .\cademy in 
New London, and completed his preparation for college at the Hopkins' Grammar School, 
New Haven, under the tuition of the celebrated Dominie Olmstead. He entered Yale in 
1845, during the last \ear of President Day's administration, and graduated with his class in 
1849. Although he was necessarily absent during the larger part of his sophomore year, he 
was graduated fourth in a class of students, an unusual number of whom afterward 
became distinguished. Among these President Fiske of Beloit University (who ranked first 
in the class). President Timothy Dwight of Yale (who ranked third), Judge Finch of the 
New York Court of Appeals, and William D. Bishop, may be named as conspicuous examples. 
After studying a year at Yale Law School, at that period under the superintendence of E.x- 
Goveniors Bis.sell and Dntton, Mr. Brandegee entered the law office of the late Andrew C. 
Lippitt, then the leading attorney at New London, with whom he soon after formed a 
partnership which continued until 1S54, when Mr. Brandegee was elected to represent his 
native city in the House of Representatives of the State of Connecticut. The old Whig 
party was then in the throes of dissolution after the disastrous political campaign under 
General Scott ; and the proposed repeal of the Missouri Compromise had stirred the moral 
sense of the North to its foundations. Mr. Brandegee threw himself with the ardor of a 
young and enthusiastic nature into the anti-slaver>- movement. Although the youngest 
member of the House, he soon developed talents of a very high order as a parliamentarian 
and debater, and became its leader. He was appointed by Speaker Foster — afterward senator — 
a member of the judician,- connnittee, and also chairman of the select committee to carr\- 
through the ' Bill for the Defence of Liberty, ' a measure drafted by Henr\- B. Harrison — 
subsequently governor of the state — the practical effect of which was to prevent the enforce- 
ment of the Fugitive Slave Law in Connecticut. He was also appointed chairman of the 
connnittee on the Maine law, and, as such, carried through the Assembly the first and onl\- 
prohibitory liquor law ever pa.ssed in Connecticut. Mr. Brandegee was largely instrumental 
in the election at that session of Speaker Foster and Francis Gillette to represent the anti- 
slavery sentiment of Connecticut in the United States Senate. 

" Returning to his practice, Mr. Brandegee was elected judge of the city criminal court 
of New London. In the enthusiastic campaign for ' Free Speech, Free Soil, Freedom and 
Fremont,' which followed the anti-Nebraska excitement, Mr. Brandegee took an active and 
conspicuous part. He made speeches in the principal towns and cities of Connecticut and 
soon became noted as one of the most popular and well known campaign orators of his part\-. 



54 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



He was chosen as one of the electors of the state on a ticket headed by Ex-Governor Roger S. 
Baldwin, and with his colleagues cast the electoral vote of Connecticut for the ' Path- Finder,' 
and first presidential candidate of the Republican party — John C. Fremont. In 1858 he 
was again elected to represent the town of New London in the Connecticut House of 
Representatives, and in 1859 he was a third time chosen. Although selected by his party, 
then in a majority, as their candidate for speaker, in 1859, he was obliged to decline the 
office on account of the death of his father. In 1S61, he was for a fovirth time elected to 
the House and was honored by being elected its speaker. This was the first ' war session ' 
of the Connecticut Legislature. The duties of a presiding officer, always difficult and delicate, 
were largelv enhanced by the excited state of feeling existing between the two great parties, 
and the novel requirements of legislation to provide Connecticut's quota of men and means 
for the suppression of the rebellion. The duties of the chair were so acceptably filled by 
Speaker Brandegee, that, at the close of the session, he w^as presented with a service of silver 
bv Hon. Henr}- C. Deming, the leader of the opposition, in the name of the members of 
botli political parties, without a dissenting voice. 

"]\Ir. Brandegee took a \&t\ active part in the great uprising of the North which followed 
the firing upon Fort Sumter. His services were sought all over the state in addressing 
patriotic meetings, raising troops, delivering flags to departing regiments and arousing public 
sentiment. In 1863 he was elected to the Thirty-eighth Congress of the United States as a 
representative from the third congressional district of Connecticut, and in 1865 he was 
re-elected, and served in the Thirty-ninth Congress. Although the youngest member of the 
bodv, he at once took a prominent position, and was selected by Speaker Colfax as a member 
of the committee on naval affairs, at that time, next after the militan,- committee, one of the 
most important. He was also a member of the committee on the auditing of na\-al accounts, 
and chairman of a special committee on a post and military route from New York to Wash- 
in<>ton. I\Ir. Brandegee continued a member of the House during the four historic years 
covered by the Civil War and the reconstniction period, acting with the most advanced wing 
of his party, and trusted and respected b\- his associates, among whom were Garfield, Blaine, 
Schenck, Conkling, Dawes, Winter, Davis and Thaddeus Stevens. He was admitted to frequent 
and friendly intercourse with President Lincoln, who always manifested a peculiar interest 
in Connecticut, and who was wont to speak of Governor Buckingham — its executive at 
that time — as the 'Brother Jonathan' upon whom he leaned, as did Washington upon 
Jonathan Trumbull. 

" In 1864 Mr. Brandegee was a member of the Connecticut delegation to the National 
Republican Convention, held at Baltimore, which nominated Lincoln and Johnson. It was 
largely due to this delegation that Johnson was selected instead of Hamlin for the vice- 
presidency, the Connecticut delegation being the first to withdraw its support from the New 
England candidate. In 1871, notwithstanding his earnest protests, he was nominated for 
the ofhce of mayor of the city of New London. He received very general support and was 
elected, but resigned after holding office two years, being led to this step b}- the exacting 
requirements of a large and growing legal practice. In 1S80 "Six. Brandegee was chairman 
of the Connecticut delegation to the Chicago Republican National Convention, held in Chicago, 
nominating Washburne for the presidency. His speech attracted favorable notice not only 
in the convention, but throughout the country-, and gave him wide reputation as an orator 
and party leader. In 1884 he was again chairman of the Connecticut delegation to the 
Republican National Convention, also held at Chicago, and made the nominating speech for 
General Hawley, the candidate of his state for the presidency. 



I 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 55 

" I'or ihe past five or six years Mr. Brandegee has, of choice, gradually retired from public 
life and devoted hinist-lf ahnost exclusively to the practice of law at New London; and 
although he has been repeatedly urged by the leaders of his party to take its nomination for 
governor, and has been frequently talked of as an available candidate for the United States 
senatorship, he has uniformly declined this and all other public offices and honors, preferring 
to devote his entire time and energies to professional work, in which he is still actively 
engaged, having as an associate his only son, Frank R. Brandegee, a graduate of Yale 
UniversitN- in the class of '85. As a lawyer Mr. Brandegee is ranked as one of the very 
foremost in the profession; as a politician, one of the highest ability and integrity, and as a 
citizen one of the most honored and respected." 



ULKHUl^V, .MURGAX (iARDNHR, ex-governor of Connecticut, and president 
of the .Etna Life Insurance Company, was born in East Haddam, Conn., 
,, ,,- . ,, Dec. 26, iS'iv. 
YiZ'-yj /Ji T''^'-^ name P.ulkeley was originally spelled Buclough, and was derived from 

"^ —^^^ a range of mountains in the County Palatine of Chester, England, and it runs 

back to a remote antiquity. The Connecticut Bulkeleys can trace the famil\- line by direct 
succession for over six centuries. From an interesting old parchment in the possession of 
Governor Bulkeley it is learned that Robert Bulkeley (or Buclough), Esq., an English Baron 
in the time of King John, was lord of the manor of Buclough, in the County of Palatine. 
From liiiii by successive generations are (2) William, (3) Robert, (4) Peter, (5) John, 
(6) Hugh, (7) Humphrey, (8) William, (9) Thomas, (10) Rev. Edward. Rev. Peter 
Bulkeley, son of Rev. Kdward, emigrated from England in 1634, settled in Massachusetts, 
and, after a life of much usefulness, died in 1659. Rev. Gershom Bulkeley, son of the first 
settler, was prominent in the colonial historj' of Connecticut, and married a daughter of Presi- 
dent Chauncey of Harvard College. It was said of him, " As a clergyman, he stood at the 
head of his profession, and ranked among the first in medical science. He devoted much time 
to chemistry, with its useful researches, and to philosophy as a cardinal branch of medical 
knowledge. He was master of several languages, among them being Latin, Greek and Dutch. 
He was famous as a surveyor, preeminent in his time as a chemist, and highly respected as a 
magistrate." Then came the fourth revereird in the family line — Re\-. John Bulkeley, the 
first minister at Colchester, and regarded by the men of his time as a noted casuist and sage 
counsellor. His son John was a judge, and held many important offices of tru^^t. Eliphalet, 
son of the Honorable John Bulkele\-, was father of John Charles and grandfather of Fvli- 
phalet A. Bulkeley. 

The latter is deserving of more than a passing notice. He was bom in Colchester, June 
29) i8o3) graduated at Yale College in 1824, and was admitted to the bar at Lebanon, Conn. 
Removing to East Haddam, he continued the practice of his profession and became president 
of a bank. While residing here he was elected to the legislature once, and twice to the 
Senate. In 1847, he settled in Hartford, and in 1857 was again elected to the legislature, 
and recei\ed the honor of being chosen to the speaker's chair, being the first Republican to 
occupy that responsible position. F"or many years he was a.ssociated with Judge Henrj' 
Perkins under the firm name of Bulkeley & Perkins. At this time the subject of life 
insurance was almost in the air of Hartford, and naturally his progressive mind became inter- 
ested in the new topic. Assisting materially in the organization of the Connecticut Mutual 



56 REPRESEXTATU'E MEX 

Company, he was chosen its first president, but retained the position only two years. In 
i8s3, he was elected president of the ^55tna Life Insurance Company, and remained at the 
head of the company until his death in 1872. He married L\'dia Smith, daughter of Aver)' 
Morgan, and six children were the fruit of this union, of whom ^Morgan G. was the third. 

The business career of the future governor began as bundle boy in a mercantile house in 
Brooklvn, N. Y., in 1851. Being faithful and energetic, he was rapidly advanced on his 
merits to the position of salesman and confidential clerk ; and in 185S he became a partner 
in the firm in whose employ he served seven years before as errand boy. When the call was 
made for troops to suppress the rebellion, he enlisted in the thirteenth New York regiment, 
and went to the front as a private. During General IMcClellan's peninsular campaign, he 
served under General Mansfield. 

The better to supervise his large financial interests, after his father's death in 1872, 
Mr. Bulkelev decided to locate permanently in Hartford. Intimately acquainted with all the 
details of questions of finance, he was the prime factor in the organization of the United States 
Bank, and became its first president. Now that, after twenty years of successful existence, 
it is among the largest and most substantial of the city banks, gives evidence that the founda- 
tion was laid on a solid basis. 

When the presidency of the ^5Jtna Life Insurance Compan\- became vacant by the retire- 
ment of Thomas O. Enders, he was elected to the position. The unexampled success which 
has followed his management of the company's affairs is another tribixte to his rare perception 
and managerial skill. It is exceptional that a father is followed by a son at the head of a 
corporation of such magnitude as the ^Etna Life ; and as the compau)- is so identified with 
the lives of both, a passing mention of its history would seem fitting. Commencing its 
existence as a branch of the .55tna Fire Insurance Company, it was organized under an inde- 
pendent charter in 1853 with Eliphalet A. Bulkeley as president. During the first decade 
of its career, the compan\- de\-eloped slowh-. To quote from " Hartford in 1889," a volume 
issued by the Board of Trade : 

Nowhere is the greatness of the change in the attitude of the public towards life insurance more clearly 
reflected than in the records of the .Etna. In 1863, thirteen years from the date of organization, its assets 
amounted to 31310,492. The impetus then given to the development of the company was stimulated and multi- 
plied bj- the energy of the management. Its subsequent growth in resources and surplus, in reputation and 
popularity, has never for an instant been checked by adversities of any nature, or troubles from any quarter. 
It has been singularly fortunate, too, in avoiding the errors of judgment which intelligence and prudence may, 
without discredit, be expected to make under the law of averages. In 1868, its assets had increased to 57,538,- 
612; in 1878, to 124,141,125 ; in 1889, ^32, 620,676. Success far transcending the dreams of the founders, and on 
the whole perhaps unequalled in the records of life insurance, either in Europe or America, is easily explained 
in the light of the facts. The -Etna Life was a pioneer in loaning to western farmers, having entered the field 
under highly favorable conditions. . . . All the early loans bore interest at ten per cent. The arrangement 
proved greatly advantageous to both loaner and borrower. ... In economy of management the ^tna ranks 
with the first three or four in the list of American companies. . . . The present capital is $1,250,000. The 
marvellous growth of the .Etna Life cannot be repeated in the future b\- any similar organization, because the 
conditions which rendered the process possible have passed never to return. 

At a banquet given by Illinois managers of the .Etna Life Insurance Company, June, 
1892, of Governor Bulkeley, in liis address of welcome, Mr. R. W. Kempshall said: 

As Leonidas, the Spartan, came from a family of soldiers, so it might be said that he who is our 
guest tonight comes from a family of insurance men. His father, the venerable E. A. Bulkeley, was the 
first president of the .Etna Life Insurance Company. His brother, Ex-Lieutenant Governor Bulkeley, was for 
many ^-ears the vice-president, and I look with peculiar interest upon our president's little son (laughter 
and applause) who undoubtedly has got insurance blood in his veins, for it is said, that when he was a baby, 
and refused to be comforted with the ordinary rubber ring and rattle box, he would immediately subside, 
in his most tempestuous moods, if only given an agent's manual and an .Etna policy to play with (long 
laughter). It is my privilege to have known Mr. Bulkeley as a merchant, soldier and banker, as alderman 



OF COWFCT/Crr, iS6r-r8g4. 57 

ami mayor of tin.- city in wliich he lives, and as governor of the state of Connecticut. He has helil and 
now fills many honorable offices, but his crowning one of them all I hold to be the presidency of the .Btna 
Life Insurance Coi7ipany (long applause). He is not alone president of the directors, though always watchful 
of their interests, hut he is also careful for the rights of policy holders, and ever has an attentive ear and 
kindlv word for the encouragement of agents — a good all round president (applause). To be the accountable 
head of our great company, with its millions of assets, thousands of policy holders, and tens of thousands of 
beneficiaries, is a heavy responsibility ; but this trust so sacred, this obligation so great, rests upon the shoulders 
of a man whom we all believe has the strength and ability to carry the load (applause). 

At the same occasion and in response to ]\Ir. Kenipshall, Governor Bulkeley said: 
" Speakin.i>; of the company, its first quarters were in a little room, about ten by fifteen feet 
square, which was its home for several years, and it was my distingiiished privilege at that 
early date in the histor\- of the company, to wield a broom early in the morning, sweeping 
out the ofiice. The renuineration was of the most liberal character — one dollar per week" 
(laughter and applause). It is not often given to a man to become a partner in the firm 
whose employ he entered as a bundle boy, and later to become president of a great insur- 
ance company whose office he had swept when a youth. 

Men of Mr. Bulkeley's stamp are not allowed to confine all their executive ability and 
energ\- of character to the limits of one corporation. Besides bearing the burdens of the 
management of the .Etna Life, he is also director in the .Etna Fire Insurance Company, 
-Etna National Bank, United States Bank, Willimantic Linen Company and other business 
coqjorations. 

Inheriting his father's love for politics, Mr. Bulkeley naturally became a participant, 
as well as an interested obser\er in local political affairs. He made municipal problems a 
matter of conscientious study, and this doubtless had much to do with the satisfactory manner 
in which he filled the offices to which he was successively chosen. Making an entrance into 
official life as a councilman, later he was made an alderman, and for eight consecutive years 
was elected mayor of Hartford. During his incumbency of this office, he exercised a watchful 
care over income and expenditure, and advocated only such measures as would advance the 
interests of the municipality, irrespective of partisan considerations. Liberal with his pri\-ate 
means for the amelioration of the distressed, he did much for the comfort and pleasure of the 
working classes. His salary-, as mayor, was more than disbursed in this way every year. 

During his tenure of office as mayor of Hartford, he developed such rare executive ability 
in civil affairs, it was not singular that Mr. Bulkeley's friends should urge his availability as 
a candidate for gtibernatorial honors, .\cting upon this conviction, his name was presented 
to the Republican convention of 1S86. In the meantime, however, a movement in favor 
of Mr. Lounsbury had acquired such momentum that, in the interest of harlnon^•, Mr. 
Bulkeley authorized the withdrawal of his name as a candidate. Joining heartilv in the 
support of his rival, he assisted materially in securing his successful election. His course at 
this time was everywhere comniended. .\t the next state convention of his partv in .\ugust, 
i.SSS, Mr. Bulkeley was nominated for governor by acclamation. The choice of the party 
was approved at the polls, and on the following January- he took his seat in the gubernatorial 
chair. The vigorous administration which followed was characteristic of the man, and will 
be remembered as among the most notable in the history of the Commonwealth. 

.\t the state election in Xo\ember, 1S90, a pectdiar situation of affairs occurred, and amid 
the trying scenes, Governor Bulkele>- won fresh honors for himself. It was the first state 
election under the new ballot law, and results were declared by town oflScers which were not 
accepted as conclusive by the Senate to whom the election statistics were returnable under 
the statute, or by the House of Representatives. .\s the legislature failed to settle the 
questions of gubernatorial succession, under the Constitution it became Governor Bulkeley's 
duty to continue to exercise the functions of his office for two additional vears. The circum- 



58 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

stances attending his second tenn as the official head of the state were delicate and sometimes 
vexing in the extreme. That he bore every test most creditably is the highest praise that 
conld be awarded. After the usnal details attending the adjournment had taken place, Gov- 
ernor Bulkeley spoke as follows, and his words were really a brief history of the session itself : 

You have reached the closing hours of this session of the General Assembly, unprecedented in its length 
iu the history of our state and protracted from the wide and irreconcilaljle differences of opinion between 
the two branches of the Assembly in regard to proper and legal constitutional provisions — resulting in a 
complete cessation of legislation during your entire term of office. As you return to your several constit- 
uencies, you will certainly not be charged as assemblies too often are with burdening the people with an 
excessive amount of legislation. I sincerely trust that no interest of the state has seriously suffered. 
The experience of the last two years has demonstrated the law abiding character of our people, and the 
strength and stability, under the severest test it has ever sustained, of the constitution and government 
under which the old commonwealth has existed for so man}' years. In directing the customary and formal 
adjournment, I commend each and every member to the protecting care of an all wise Providence now and 
always. 

One of the first duties of the state legislature which assembled in January, 1893, was to 
choose a United States Senator for the term of six years. The friends of Governor Bulkeley 
brought his name forward as a candidate for this honorable office. When the final counting 
of the votes was made, it showed he had a handsome vote and he has cause to be proud of the 
support he received. The prize, however, was awarded to Gen. J. R. Hawley, the previous 
incumbent. No citizen of the state could be elected governor of Connecticut and later be one 
of the leading candidates for the United States senatorship, unless he have special qualifications 
for these honorable positions. 

In a well written sketch, the University Magazine says of him : 

Governor Bulkelev's record as governor is too well known to need much comment here. Without a 
particle of formality, he has yet shown the highest respect for the office. He has at all times been true to his 
sense of dut}', and has been alert, able and original to a marked degree, often under discouraging circumstances. 
His thorough manliness and aljility have made him the future leader of his party, and the natural candidate 
for its highest honors. During the recent legislative deadlock between the two political parties, when at times 
partisanship has risen to extreme heat, opposition press has severely criticised Governor Bulkeley's course, not 
realizing perhaps that he continued in office against his private wishes, and in obedience to his interpretation 
of the law and Constitution, which has been sustained by the highest court in the state. But it is sufficient 
tribute to his character, that even the Democrats, as a rule, have acknowledged his success as a public man, 
and the sway of his popularity' in private life. At recent ceremonials, such as the Washington and Columbian 
festivals in New York, and the dedication of the World's Fair in Chicago, where he has been called upon to 
lead the Connecticut delegations, he has always been received with the utmost cordiality', and has represented 
the state with exceptional brilliancy. Governor Bulkeley is in the prime of life, both for business and political 
work. As president of the -'Etna he has strengthened that already strong company, and won a national repu- 
tation as a business man of the first grade. .Sociall)', he is a prince of good fellows, and is rich, generous and 
prominent in Hartford society. 

jMorgan G. Bulkeley was married Feb. 11, 1885, to Fannie Briggs, daughter of James 
F. and Caroline A. Houghton of San Francisco, Cal. They have one son, Morgan Gardner, 
Jr., who came as a Christmas gift in 1885, and one daughter, Elinor Houghton, born in 1893. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 59 



;vHASE, GEORGE LEWIS, president of the Hartford Fire Insurance Company, 
Hartford, was born in Millbury, Worcester County, Mass., Jan. 13, 1828. He 
.£J was the son of Paul Cushing; Chase, a lineal descendant in the sixth generation 
of Aquila Chase, who came from Cornwall, England, and settled in Hampton, 
Mass., in 1640. The links in the chain connecting the present with the past 
are : (i) Aqnila, (2) Moses, (3) David, (4; Daniel, (5) Paul, (6) Joshua, (7) Paul Cushing. 
Receiving a thorough education in the regular English course of studies at Millbury 
Academy, he was well equipped for the business life upon which he entered. Beginnino- 
his chosen sphere of action at the earl\- age of nineteen years, he engaged in the insurance 
business, as the agent of the Planner's Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Georgetown, 
Mass. Subsequently he was elected a member of the board of directors. His energy and 
tact fitted him to become an efficient can\asser, and he operated first through southern 
Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut ; and within a short time his agenc\- included four 
companies doing business on the mutual plan. One of this quartette, the Holvoke Mutual 
of Salem, is still successfully engaged writing policies. In 1848, Mr. Chase was appointed 
travelling agent for the People's Insurance Company pi Worcester ; he retained that position 
for four years, when he removed to Ohio, having been appointed assistant superintendent 
of the Central Ohio Railroad Company. His manifest ability was such, that a vacancy 
being made, he was advanced to the office of general superintendent of the road. Believino- 
in the value of organization, he was among the representatives who formed the first 
Association of Railroad Superintendents in the United States, a meeting for the purpose 
being held in Columbus in 1853. 

His first choice in a business career still kept its hold on his affections, and, in i860, 
Mr. Chase resumed his connection with the fire insurance business, accepting the western 
general agency of the New England Fire Insurance Company of Hartford. This position 
was held for three years, when he became a part of that company with which the rest 
of his life was to be identified, by accepting the appointment of assistant western general 
agent of the Hartford Fire Insurance Company. 

In all the positions he had occupied, Mr. Chase had displa>ed ability of the highest 
order, and in the new field he at once attracted the attention and approval of the board 
of directors. Just after he entered his fourth year of service, the presidency of the com- 
pany \vas offered him. The duties and responsibilities of the office were great, and it was 
only after a thorough deliberation that IMr. Chase decided to accept; and in June, 1867, he 
succeeded Timothy C. Allyn, as president. As his connection with the Hartford Fire 
Insurance Company now covers a period of thirty years, a few words regarding its histor\- 
would seem most fitting. To quote from " Hartford in 1889," by Mr. P. H. Woodward 
secretan,- of the Board of Trade : 

The lessons of history are most easily learned from examples. The Hartford was chartered in May 
1810, hut from a policy still extant, it seems to have had an inchoate being as early as 1794. On the loth 
«f June following, the company was organized, by the choice of Nathaniel Terry as president, and Walter 
Mitchell as secretary, with a capital of 1150,000, made up of ten per cent, in cash, and the balance in the 
notes of shareholders, secured by mortgages or private endorsements. It was hoped that the profits would 
gradually pay off the notes, removing the liability to further assessments ; but the makers were men of 
pecuniary solidity, prepared to meet the obligations, should the necessity arise. Thus equipped, the pioneer 
company, like Columbus at I'alos, embarke<I upon an unknown sea, little dreaming of the discoveries to be 
made, the wealth to be won, or of the all pervasive influence of the venture upon the future development of 
the town. They started on the voyage without compass or chart, for even the elementary laws underlying the 
business had not then been generalized, the facts were ungathered, and the literature of science, now loading 
the shelves of large libraries, had not thrown one ray of light athwart the darkness. 



6o REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

The first year, the income of the company was $4,498, and the expenses $530. A decade later, the 
annual income had crept up to J;io,io2, and in 1832, to 552,394, showing for the twenty-one years an average 
annual gain of about S2300. During part of this period, losses were heavy, and some timid holders gave awaj- 
their shares to get rid of the note liability. In June, 1835, Eliphalet Terry became president, and continued 
to hold that office until his death in 1849. The other presidents have been Hezekiah Huntington, from 1849 
to 1864; Timothy C. AUyn, from 1864 to '67, and Mr. Chase, the present incumbent, since 1867. Just after 
Mr. Terry's term of office began, the company was put to a severe test by a large fire in Isew York ; but 
it was met in a way to bring still greater success. Between 1845 and 1849, losses to the amount of over 
$240,000 occurred in New York, Nantucket, Albany and St. Louis. Sixteen years of exemption from notable 
disasters ensued, and then in swift succession came the conflagrations at Augusta and Portland, Maine, and 
at Vicksburg, Miss. From losses incurred in the Chicago fire of 1871, the Hartford paid_ out over $2,000,000, 
meeting every obligation in full. Thirteen months later, at the Boston fire of November, 1872, another loss of 
half a million was met out of the current receipts. 

President Chase brought to his position as the executive head of the company, a rich 
and varied experience, and his skill as a manager was early put to the test in carrying the 
institution successfulh' through the calamities at Chicago and Boston, which overwhelmed 
most of its contemporaries. His management of the company's business and interests has 
been matchless in character, placing him in the foremost rank of fire insurance representatives. 
A large share of the company's growth for the last quarter of a century is due to his watch- 
fulness over details which often escape the notice of less careful managers. 

All of President Chase's energy and ability has not been confined to the company of 
which he is the head. His standing as an insurance manager was recognized by his associates 
and competitors in the business from the outset. In the centennial year, he was elected 
president of the National Board of Underwriters, and is at present the board chairman of the 
committee of legislation and taxation, by far the most important chairmanship in the 
organization. His connection with the National Board has been one of commanding influence 
and leadership, as his strong personality and long experience make themsehes felt wherever 
he goes. A .share of his time has been given to financial institutions, and had he not dexoted 
himself to the line of insurance, he would have made a marked success as a banker. He is 
a member of the Board of Trustees and one of the vice-presidents of the Society for Savings, 
which is the largest savings bank in Connecticut ; and is also a trustee of the Connecticut 
Trust and Safe Deposit Company, and a director in the American National Bank. Of the 
Hartford Board of Trade he is a prominent member, and is thoroughly interested in the 
industrial development and prosperit}- of the city where he occupies so leading and 
influential a place. 

In religious matters, President Chase affiliates with the Congregational Church, and 
he is a member of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford. He has been five 
times elected president of the Connecticut Congregational Club, of which the late United 
States Senator Lafayette S. Foster of Norwich was the first president. This clul) is the most 
important lay organization connected with the Congregational Church in the state, and it 
wields an extended influence for good. Into his religious work. President Chase puts .some 
of the same energy and zeal which characterizes his secular affairs, and the results attained 
are in similar proportions. 

There is one evening in President Chase's life which is indelibly impressed on his memory. 
A service of twent)-five years as the president of a corporation is not rare, but such expressions 
of goodwill and kindly feeling are indeed exceptional. In June, 1892, an entertainment was 
given by the Hartford Fire Insurance Company to their employees, and it was a most enjoyable 
occasion. The secretaries, together with the general and special agents, during the course of 
the evening presented him with a silver loving cup, as a testimonial commemoratixe of his 
twenty-fifth anniversary as president of the compau)-. It was manufactured from an unique 
design, and on one side was the following inscription : 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 61 

1867. 

To OKOROE Iv. CHASR, 

President Harlfonl Fire Insurance Comjiany, 

on the 25th Anniversary of Ilis Assuniinj< the Office, 

With Loving Regards of his Co-Workers and Associates, 

The Secretaries, General and Special Agents 

Of the Home Oflice Department, June 15th, 1892. 

Un the reverse side was a charming etchin.sj of Landseer's " Monarch of the Glen," which 
is the seal and trademark of the compan\-. The cup was a rich and artistic exhibition of the 
skill of the sihcrsmith. Acconipan\incr it was a handsomely engrossed address which read: 

1S67. OKORGE L. CHASE, 1892. 

President Hartford Fire Insurance Company. 

In commemoration of the completion by you of twenty-five years in your present position, the 

Secretaries, General Agents and Special Agents of the Home Office Department ask your acceptance of this 

LOVING CUP, 
as slight but fitting testimonial of the sentiment shared by all fortunate enough to be connected with 
the "Old Hartford" under your wise and able administration. 
We bring you happy greetings 

On this triunii)hal day. 
When five-and-twenty faithful years 

Of toil have passed away. 
Midst storm of fiery trial, 
Among the stalwart few, 
You guided the "Old Hartford's" course. 

With steadfast hands and true. 
God give you grace for duty 

And strength your place to fill. 
That you may be for years to come. 
Our honored leader still. 

P. C. ROYCE, ThOM.\S TURNHfLL. Ch.\RI,ES R. Ch.\SE, 

Jame.s H. Leighton, J.\mes S. C.\taxach, Thomas Rgleston, 

J. W. Covington, W. S. Dewey, Frederick Samson, 

A. D. Birchard, George S. A. Young, C. H. Van Antwerp, 

PprTER A. McCallum, James M. Hodges, W. R. Prescott, 

Johns. Goldsmith, J. B. McDonald. 

Wherever President Chase has been seen, as a practical canvasser for insurance in early 
life, as a railroad official, as head of the oldest and one of the largest fire insurance companies 
in the state, on boards of financial institutions, in .social life, or as a consistent church member, 
the same characteristics have marked his career. His indomitable pluck, his steady persistence, 
coupled with executive abilit>- of rare order, have made him a 1)orn leader, and this influence 
has always been u.sed to upbuild the corporations with which he has l)een connected, or for the 
welfare of his fellow citizens. Hartford would be richer than it is now in worthy men, if there 
were more of the same stamp within its borders. President Chase is an apt interpreter of art 
and poetr)', and his literar}- abilities are of no mediocre order. In 1882 he delighted a host of 
friends by preparing for their entertainmcut a graphic description of his journey through the 
western states and the Pacific coast, it being written partly in rhyme and parth- in blank verse. 
The brochure was entitled "To California and Return," and it is to be regretted that he 
declined to allow its public circulation. A visit to Hawaii in 1893 was made into a popular 
lecture, and it has been delivered before several interested audiences with great acceptability. 

George L. Chase was married Jan. 8, 1851, to Calista M., daughter of Judson and Sarah 
B. Taft. Three children have been added to the family circle, a son and two daughters. 
The fonner, Mr. Charles E. Chase, is assistant .secretary- of the compauv of which his father 
has been president for so many years. The son married Helen S. Bourne; they ha\e one 
daughter. The younger daughter died in 1866. The older daughter married Mr. Charles 
H. Longley in 1874. She died in 1893. 



62 REPRESENTArilE MEN 



=C^J! WIGHT, HENRY CECH^, ex-mayor of the city of Hartford and member of the 

-_,\(M\i firm of Dwight, Skinner & Company, was born in Northampton, Mass., 

1^1 Jan. 19, 1841. 

'''^^jTA His father was the Rev. Henry Angustns Dwight, son of Col. Cecil Dwight 

of Northampton, and a gradnate of Williams College, class of 1829. For 
twenty years he conducted a classical school in the South, a considerable portion of the time 
being spent in Norfolk, Va. The mother of General Dwight was Elizabeth, daughter of 
Capt. William Britnall of New Haven. She w^as married Dec. 4, 1838, and died Oct. 29, 
1843, leaving two sons, Charles Augustus Dwight and the subject of this sketch. Col. Cecil 
Dwight, the grandfather of the general, was the son of Maj. Timothy Dwight of Northampton, 
and Mary Edwards, daughter of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, the noted New England theolo- 
o-ian. There were thirteen children bv this marriage. Of the number may be mentioned as 
distinguished leaders in their day, Pres. Timothy Dwight of Yale College, Theodore Dwight, 
who was secretary of the Hartford Convention, and Nathaniel Dwight, who was one of the 
orio-inators of the nio\-ement that resulted in establishing the retreat for the insane in Hartford. 

It is an interesting fact that the life work of each was performed in Connecticut. The 
present honored head of Yale University, the Rev. Dr. Timothy Dwight, belongs to the same 
famih- with General Dwight, Major Timotli}- Dwight having been the ancestor of both. 
Jonathan Edwards was also a common ancestor. The debt of Connecticut to the Edwards 
and Dwight representatives is incalculable. 

General Dwight's entry into business life was made as a clerk in a leading dry goods house 
in his native town. He was engaged in this peaceful pursuit when the call to arms was made 
in 1861. His patriotism was aroused and he at once enlisted in a three months' regiment, but 
on account of Northampton's quota being filled he was unable to go directly to the front. 
In September he was largely instrumental in organizing Company A, of the Twenty-se\euth 
Massachusetts Regihient, and, being appointed sergeant-major of the command, he went with 
it through the Burnside Expedition to North Carolina. Three months after his enlistment, 
he was appointed second lieutenant of Company H, and in April, 1862, was transferred to his 
original company and promoted to the first lieutenantcy. In August of the same j-ear he 
received his commission as captain — a high honor for a young man who had barely attained his 
majority. It was through faithful and valiant service at the front that Captain Dwight's 
advancement was won. Until the fall of 1S63, he remained with his regiment in North 
Carolina, and at that time was assigned to provost duty in the city of Norfolk, \'a., where 
he had passed two \-er\- pleasant \ears of his early life under his father's tuition. The spring 
of 1864 found him again with his regiment, and he accompanied it in the campaign on the 
James river under General Butler. Appointed recruiting officer of the Twenty-seventh Regi- 
ment in November, 1863, he was so successful in this work that under his leadership 343 men 
re-enlisted. He served with the Twenty-seventh Regiment until May 16, 1864, when he 
was assigned to staff service as assistant commissary- of subsistence under special order from 
headquarters. Captain Dwight continued in that branch of the service until his term of 
enlistment expired, Sept. 28, 1864. 

Just before the close of the war. Captain Dwight removed to Hartford and has since made 
the capital cit\- his home. At first he engaged in business with E. N. Kellogg & Co., who 
were large dealers in wool, and later with Austin Dunham & Sons. Deciding to take a stand 
for himself in the business world, with I\Ir. Dra\-ton Hillyer, he formed the firm of H. C. 
Dwight & Co., which in 1881 became the present firm of Dwight, Skinner & Company. 
They conduct an extensi\e wool trade throughout the New England states, and have con- 
nections in all the western and southwestern states. 



i 



OF COXNECTICUT, iS6r-i8g4. 63 

In eventhing which pertains to tlie welfare of liis adopted cit>-, General Dwight 
has taken deep interest. Naturally he was called upon to serve the public in an official 
capacity. Elected a member of the Common Council in 1S71 from the fourth ward, he 
brought to the office a large amount of practical good sense which rendered him a valuable 
accession. He was elected a member of the Board of Aldermen from the same ward in 1875, 
and was reelected in 1877, giving him two terms in the aldermanic chambers. General 
Dwight exerted a strong and con.servative influence in the board, and was an able debater 
concerning all municipal interests. He was appointed a member of the board of street 
commissioners by Mayor Morgan G. lUilkelcy, Dec. 27, 1880, succeeding the Rev. Francis 
Goodw-in, resigned. He was reappointed during three subsequent terms, .serving continuouslv 
from 1880 to 1890. During this entire period he was regarded as one of the foremost men 
in the department, and represented the best interests of the public in the board. The posi- 
tion afforded him an excellent opportunity for the display of business qualities. 

Noting his faithfulness in the lesser offices, the citizens of Hartford called upon him in 
April, 1890, to accept still higher honors at their hands. He was chosen ma\or of the city, 
and his administration of affairs was an exceptionally successful one for the citv's interests. 
Bringing to the office a thorough knowledge of the duties acquired by his years of ser\ice 
in the different city departments, he was peculiarly well fitted to make a careful executive 
functionan,-. Among the special points of advance made during his occupanc\- of the mayor's 
chair may be mentioned : improved apparatus and organization in the fire department, better 
police administration and the establi.shment of broader pul)lic \iews with regard to the street 
service of the city. The first steps in behalf of an increased water supply were taken. under 
Mayor Dwight. His management of municipal affairs was able and economical. His appoint- 
ments were thoroughh- creditable, placing in the city commissions men of experience and 
training. Mayor Dwight's social qualities enabled him to represent the cit\- on various public 
occasions with exceptional felicity. The General is one of the most enjo>able post-prandial 
speakers in the state, and as mayor this attainment was not infrequentlv brought into requisi- 
tion. He was in all respects a model public officer, patience, courtesy and high ideals 
characterizing his administration during the two Nears in which he was at the head of the 
city government. 

Having rendered such valuable service to the city, it was but natural that he should 
be nominated for reelection. He recei\'ed this honor in the largest Republican caucus e\-er 
held in this city, his name being presented by Judge Nathaniel Shipman of the United States 
Court. He was supported b)- the most eminent citizens here. But the political situation 
was unfavorable at the time, and the election of his opponent, Hon. William Waldo Hvde, 
was effected by an unimportant majority. The contest was eminently honorable to both 
gentlemen. Numerous regrets were expressed at the result. The Hartford Coiiraiit fitly 
voiced the sentiments of :VIayor Dwight's large constituency when it said : 

Henry C. Dwij;lu relires from the position of mayor uniler circumstances which take from his defeat 
all possibility of any reflection upon himself. The wl.ole city recoj^niizes the devotion and self-sacrifice that 
have marked his interest in Hartford's affairs. He is a loyal gentleman, with a large heart and a true love 
for the city. He has given his best services for two years to his fellow citizens, and he steps into private life 
with the consciousness that the whole political atmosphere here is purer and better than when he entered 
upon his official duties. For his part in this great uprising he has the gratitude of every good citizen, 
Republican or Democrat, and it is a fact which he cannot but contemplate with pride. 

Speaking of the same subject, the Hartford Telegram, a paper politically opposed to 
Mayor Dwight, used the following complimentary words. Such praise is exceptionally rare 
between those whom politics divides : 



64 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Vale Mayor Henry C. Dwight. — It has been the lot of but few public officers of this, or any other 
city in America, to retire into private life after as long a period of municipal usefulness as Mayor Henry C. 
Dwight has rendered to his native city, and carry with him the universal approval of all classes of the 
community. Mayor Dwight has been an honest and upright official, a gallant and courteous gentleman at 
all times and under trying circumstances ; he has been an ornament to his party and a most true and faith- 
ful guardian of the prosperity of Hartford. In bidding him farewell in his official capacity, the Telegram is 
sincere in wishing him God-speed socially — may his future in life be strewn with the garlands of prosperity, 
and may health wait on him and add zest to the blessings that always follow rectitude and a conscientious 
discharge of public and private duties. 

Financial institutions have claimed a share of General Dwight's time and attention. 
He is vice-president and trustee of the Mechanics' Savings Bank, and is a director in the 
American National Bank and the Phcenix Insurance Company. In all of these positions his 
long experience makes his cotinsel valuable. Interested in the promotion of the public 
schools, he is a member of the south district school committee, and also sustains official relations 
with other institutions of the city. As mayor, he was ex officio a member of the Hartford 
Hospital Corporation, and during the winter of 1892 was elected a member, receiving a 
unanimous vote. The position is one of the mo.st honorable in the city. 

Zealously affected b^• all that pertains to the welfare of the old soldiers, when Robert 
O. Tvler Post of the Grand Army of the Republic was organized in 1879, General Dwight 
became one of the charter members. He is a member of the Lo}-al Legion and of the 
societies organized by the armies of the Potomac and of the James. General Dwight is 
the president of the Roanoke Association, founded to perpetuate the memories of the Burn- 
side Expedition. He is also a member of the Army and Navy Club of Connecticut, the 
most influential of the army organizations in the state. He was appointed paymaster-general 
on the staff of Governor Henry B. Harrison, serving in that capacity for two years from 
Januar}-, 1885. The office brought him into intimate relations with the National Guard of 
the state, and greatly increased his personal popularity in Connecticut military circles. On 
the never to be forgotten battle flag day he served as commander of the Union Veteran Battalion, 
and occupied the same position on Buckingham Day, when the statue of the great war 
governor was unveiled. 

For his three years' faithful service during the times which "tried men's souls," 
Mayor Dwight is held in high honor by all soldiers in the War. As a private citizen. 
Mayor Dwight enjoys the fullest confidence of his contemporaries, and they have shown their 
appreciation of his many excellent qualities by honoring him in the past. The future doubtless 
has still higher honors in store for his acceptance. As a business man, he easily occupies 
a place in the front rank, and in all the relations of life he discharges the duties which 
devolve upon him with ability and dignity. 

General Henry C. Dwight married Annie Maria Wright of this cit}-, daughter of William 
Lj'man Wright, Oct. 3, 1865. The children are, Capt. William Britnall, Charles Augustus, 
Henry Cecil and Grace \'. R. Dwight. The General and his family belong to the Rev. Dr. 
E. P. Parker's church and occupy a high social position. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 65 



^-^ 
^ 



^^Ag^EONARD, KLBRIDGE KNOWLTON, M. D., of Rockville, was born at 
C ^^^P Stafford, Conn., Dec. 13, 1833. It was the same year in which Ex-President 
C^ ^lv^^ Benjamin Harrison and Gen. James 15. Weaver, a candidate for the presidency 
^^cy l were born. 

Dr. Leonard conies of a sturdy- ancestry on both sides of the family line. In 
Rev. Dr. Fobes's description of Raynham in 1793 is the following bit of history-, which also 
contains a mention of the first of the name in this conntry: "The first adventnrers from 
England to this conntry, who were skilled in the forge iron niannfactnre, were two brothers 
viz.: James and Henry Leonard. They came to this town in the year 1652, which was 
about two years after the first settlers had planted themselves upon this spot, and in the same 
year these Leonards here built the first forge in America. Henry, not long after, moved to the 
Jerseys and settled there. James, who was the great progenitor, from whom the whole race 
of Leonards here sprang, lived and died in this town. He came from Ponterpool, in Mon- 
mouthshire, and brought with him his son Thomas, then a small bov, who afterwards worked 
at the bloomery art with his father, at the forge. This forge was situated on the great road, 
and having been repaired from generation to generation, it is to this day still in employ. On 
one side of the dam, at a small distance from each other, stand three large elms and one oak 
tree. Two of the elms are only three feet in circumference, and are still flourishing. These 
trees are now almost one hundred and twenty years old ; which, with the ancient buildings 
and other objects around, present to the eye a scene of the most venerable antiquit}-. In 
the distance of one mile and a quarter from this forge is the place called the Fowling Pond, 
on the northerly side of which once stood King Philip's hou.se. It was called Philip's huntino- 
house, because, in the season most fa\-orabIe for hunting he resided there, but spent the winter 
chiefl>- at Mount Hope, probably for the benefit of the fish. Philip and these Leonards long 
lived in good neighborhood, and often traded with each other; and such was Philip's friend- 
ship, that as soon as the war broke out, which was in 1675, he gave out strict orders to all 
his Indians never to hurt the Leonards. During the war, two houses near the forge were 
constantly garrisoned. These buildings are yet standing. One of them was built by James 
Leonard long before King Philip's War. This house still remains in its original Gothic 
form, and is now inhabited, together with the same paternal spot, by Leonards of the sixth 
generation. In the cellar under tliis house, was deposited for a considerable time the head 
of King Philip; for it .seems that even Philip him.self shared the fate of kings; he was 
decollated, and his head carried about and shown as a curiosity by one Alderman, the Indian 
who shot liini." 

From the original James Leonard, who was evidently a man of much force of character, 
the genealogical line comes down through (2) Uriah, (3) William, (4) Jacob, (5) Jacob, Jr., 
(6) Rufus, (7) Jenks W. The latter married Lucy F., daughter of Amos Pease of :Mon.son, 
and his fourth son was the subject of this sketch. Lucy F. Pease was the seventh generation 
from Robert Pease, who came to this country in the good ship Francis from the port of 
Ipswich, England, the last of April, 1634, and landed at Boston. He subsequenth- settled 
at Salem, and died at the early age of thirty-seven. 

Dr. Leonard's father died in 1836, and his eariy life was spent with his grandparents 
in Monson, Mass. .\fter passing through the common schools, he finished his education 
at the Westfield Acadenn-. Being attracted towards the medical profession, he studied 
faithfully with Dr. Marshall Calkins of Mon.son for three years. Subsequently he took a 
regular course of medical lectures at Vale College. Locating in West Stafford, he remained 
there for neariy two years, and then removed to Broad Brook, where he soon secured a 



66 REPRESEXTATIIE MEX 

profitable practice. In 1879 he decided there was a better opening for an enterprising 
physician in Rockville, with less extended travelling, and transferred his residence to that 
thriving town. Here he has since remained, and a still greater success has attended his 
efforts, as a constantly increasing list of patients will bear abundant testimony. 

Without making a specialty of any portion of the human body, he has devoted himself 
to the general practice of his profession, and as a broad-minded practitioner he has gained 
a reputation which places him in the ver^- front rank of the physicians of Tolland County. 
And now at three score he is still actively engaged in relieving the woes of suffering humanity, 
with a rare skill born of his long and varied experience. In 1884, Dr. Leonard was a delegate 
to the National Medical Convention at Washington, D. C, from Tolland County. In 1889, 
he was president and also clerk of the Tolland County Medical Societ\-, and has been Fellow 
of the society several times. 

]\Iedical practitioners rarely have time to devote to matters outside of their profession, 
but Dr. Leonard allowed himself to be elected a representative to the state legislature in 1876, 
from East Windsor. While a resident of that town he was town clerk and treasurer for eight 
years, and a part of the time was also a member of the board of school visitors. Since he has 
resided in Rockville he has again occupied the last named position, as the cause of education 
is still dear to his heart. He is a valuable member both on account of his practical counsel 
and his zealous interest in the work. 

Dr. E. K. Leonard was married June 26, 1857, to Marietta P., daughter of Bo.stwick 
Anderson of Stafford. Three children have been born to them: Lucy Ella, who died at the 
age of eleven years, Perley B., now a bookkeeper of Belding Brothers & Company, Rock- 
ville, and Rufus Harr}-, a bookkeeper at Armour & Company's, [Meriden. 




i^ORGAN, HENRY KIRKE, was born in Hartford, Conn., Dec. 15, 1819, a 
son of Denison Morgan and Ursula Brainerd, and a descendant of the line of 
James IMorgan of New London, who, removing to this countr\' from Landaff, 
Wales, in 1636, with his wife, ]\Iargery, was the ancestral forefather of a large 
family who have identified themselves from the earliest days with the history 
and progress of the State of Connecticut. James ]\Iorgan, on first coming to this countiy, 
settled in Massachusetts, and afterwards was supposed to be one of the party of emigrants 
called the " Cape Ann Company," who removed to New London, Conn., in 1650. His 
descendants in this state were numerous and brought honor to his name. Rev. Joseph Morgan, 
a graduate of Yale in 1702, Simeon Morgan, who died in 1781 in defense of Fort Griswold, 
Col. Christopher Morgan, William Aver>- Morgan, Edwin D. Morgan, governor of New Y'ork 
State during the Civil War, and many others. 

^Ir. Denison Morgan, ^Ir. Morgan's father, was for man\- years an honored citizen and 
merchant of Hartford, and an active and useful officer of the church, and his three sons, 
the only children who survived infancy, all became prominent in their se\eral spheres. The 
two eldest early moved to New Y'ork — Rev. William F. IMorgan, as rector of St. Thomas 
Church ; Mr. George D. Morgan, as connected for some years with the firm of E. D. Morgan 
S: Company, while the youngest son and the subject of this sketch remained in Hartford and 
became more and more identified with the growth and interests of his native city. He was 
educated at the well-known academy of those days at Ellington, of which Judge Hall was the 
founder, and at an earh' age entered the office of his father and was engaged in active business 



v*^ Ip^ 





OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^^4. 67 

until the year i860. Retirin.q; at that time from business, he did not lose interest in public 
affairs. He served on the board of relief for several years and has Ijeen a trustee of the 
Pratt Street Savings Bank for nearly a quarter of a century, serving on its loaning com- 
mittee. He was elected as a director of the Hartford Hospital in 1880, and was assigned 
to the executive connnittee and is at present its chairman. The Old People's Home was 
completed under the present executive committee of the hospital. Mr. Morgan is a director 
of the Phoenix Fire Insurance Company, also of the Hartford City Gas Light Company. 

He has been faithful to all public trusts, and his business training and experience have 
been of value to the institutions with which he has been connected. Mr. Morgan has been 
a life-long Episcopalian, and was one of the founders of Trinity Parish, Hartford, serving for 
many years as its warden. 

He was married on April 14, 1846, to Emil\- Malbone Brinley, youngest daughter of 
Mr. George Brinley of Boston. Fi\e children were born of this union of whom four survive: 
Rev. George Brinley Morgan, rector of Christ Church, New Haven, Conn. ; Dr. William D. 
Morgan of Hartford; Henry K. Morgan, Jr., of Morgan & Bartlct, bankers and brokers. 
New York, and ^liss Emih Mallione Morgan. 




<L:^lJi~ 



OWXE, HENRY R., of Stamford, president of the Yale & Towne Manufactur- 
T-'-^i ing Companx-, belongs to the ninth generation of descendants from William 



Towne who emigrated from Yarmouth, England, to Salem, Mass., about 1640, 
and who died at Topsfield, Mass., about 1672. The descendants of William 
Towne in this line continued to live in the neighborhood of Salem, Mass., 
until John Towne, the grandfather of Henry R., left there in his youth to seek his 
fortune. He was born in 1787, and was a man of strong character with refined tastes and 
rare ingenuity of both mind and hand. After leaving home he found his way to Baltimore 
where he became connected in business with Mr. Henr\- Robinson of England, whose sister 
he afterwards married. In 181 7, immediately after his marriage, he moved to Pitt.sburgh, 
Pa., and became interested in the early line of steamboats plying on the Ohio and 
Mississippi rivers. In 1832, he again moved to Boston, to accept a partnership with Mr. 
Robinson in the Boston Gas Works, of which the latter was then the sole proprietor. In 1S40, 
Mr. John Towne removed with his family to Philadelphia, having amassed a considerable 
fortune which enabled him to indulge his love for the fine arts by the purchase of many 
notable paintings, and also his keen enjoyment of flowers. His rare collection of "Heaths" 
was one of the mo.st remarkable of that day. He died in 185 1. 

His eldest son, John Henry Towne, father of Henry R., was born in Pittsburgh in 
1818, but received most of his education in Boston, to which place, when he was about 
fourteen years old. he moved with his parents. After distinguishing himself at the 
" ChaiMicy Hall" school in Boston, he went to Philadelphia to study engineering, and soon 
entered into partnership with the late Mr. S. V. Merrick, under the firm name of Merrick 
& Towne, proprietors of the Southwark Foundry, one of the earliest and most prominent 
engineering concerns in this country, and still in existence. In 1843, John Henry Towne 
was married to Maria R. Tevis, a daughter of Joshua Tevis, then a prominent merchant in 
Philadelphia, with business connections in the South and West, and whose first wife had 
been Rebecca Risteau Carnan of Baltimore. The business of Merrick & Towne prospered, 
and in iSjS Mr. Towne retired from the firm with means which formed the basis of his 



68 REPRESEXTATIl'E MEN 

subsequently ample fortune. He afterward engaged in various engineering enterprises, in- 
cluding the building of gas works. Shortly before the breaking out of the Civil War he 
entered the firm of I. P. Morris, Towne & Company, of the Port Richmond Iron Works, 
Philadelphia. During the Civil War many of the largest engines for monitors and other 
war ships, as w-ell as nuich heavy machiner}', were built in this establishment, the 
engineering head of which was Mr. Towne. He inherited his father's refined tastes, both 
for nature and art, and had special delight in music. During his later years he was an 
active member of the board of trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, and upon his 
death, which occurred in Paris, 1875, after amply providing for his family, left the residue 
of his fortune to the University of Pennsylvania, the technical department of which was 
thereupon named " The Towne Scientific School," in his honor. 

His only son, Henry R. Towne, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1844 in 
Philadelphia, and was educated there at a private school and also at the University of 
Pennsylvania. He left the latter before gradiiating in order to enter the Port Richmond 
Iron Works, where he was employed in the drawing office and shops, which was then the 
customary- mode of acquiring a training in mechanical engineering. The intense activity of 
the war times gave him opportunity for rapid advancement, which he fully accepted. He 
was sent by the firm to represent their interests in the erection of the machinery in the 
monitor " Monadnock " at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Mass., and later of a sister ship, 
the " Agamenticus," at the Portsmouth Navy Yard. He spent over a year on this dut}-, 
and then returned to the works in Philadelphia where, soon afterwards, he was promoted to 
the position of acting superintendent. Early in 1866 he made a trip to Europe devoted 
chiefly to visiting engineering establishments in England and France, and to several months 
of study at Paris. After his return he was for a short time employed in the works of 
William Sellers &. Company, Philadelphia, and then returned to Port Richmond Iron Works 
to take charge of the erection of the machinery- in the large sloop of war ' ' Pushmataha ' ' 
at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. During this time he made a series of experiments on 
leather belting in cooperation with his friend, the late Robert Briggs, C. E., which have 
long been quoted in standard works under the name of the " Briggs and Towne 
experiments." 

In the spring of 1868, Henry R. Towne was married to Cora E. White, daughter of 
John P. Wnaite, Esq., one of Philadelphia's old merchants, whose father was Dr. John White 
of Delaware, and whose maternal grandfather was Gov. David Hall of the same state. ]\Ir. 
White's wife was Miss Eliza Canfield Tallmadge, whose father was Frederick Augustus Tall- 
madge, at one time recorder of the city of New York, and whose grandfather was Col. Benjamin 
Tallmadge of the Revolutionary army, and aide-de-camp of General Washington. Among 
Mrs. White's ancestors was Gen. William Floyd, one of the signers of the Declaration of 
Independence. His two sons, John Henrv- and Frederick Tallmadge, are connected with the 
business at the works in Stamford. 

In the summer of 1868, Mr. Towne formed a partnership with the late Linus Yale, Jr., 
then of Shelburne Falls, Mass., for the purpose of developing a business based on the 
inventions of Mr. Yale relating to bank locks and key locks. These inventions marked 
the highest development, at that time, of the lockmakers' art, but ]Mr. Yale's means and 
facilities had enabled him to commence the business only on a small scale. The purpose of the 
new partnership was to provide new capital for its larger development, and to bring to the 
manufacture the methods of production and organization with which IVIr. Towne had become 
familiar in his earlier training. The two partners, after careful investigation, selected Stam- 
ford, Conn., thirty-four miles from the city of New York, as the location for their future 



OF CONNECTICUT, JS61-1S94. 69 

establishnieiit, thus obtaininjj the benefit of the skilled labor of New England together 
with close proximity to the connnercial metropolis of the country. The wisdom of this 
selection has been fully established by subsequent events. 

In October, 1868, Mr. Towne went to Stauiford, where he prepared the designs for the first 
building of the new works, and personally superintended its construction, Mr. Yale in the mean- 
time continuing his business at Shelburne Falls. On Dec. 25, 1868, Mr. Yale died suddenly, of 
heart disease, in New York, before the new enterprise was fairly launched, and before the 
partners had been able to more than merely discu.ss their future plans. Their enterprise had 
been organized as a corporation, under the name of the Y'ale Lock Manufacturing Company. 
In July, 1869, Mr. Towne was elected president of the corporation, to succeed Mr. Yale, and 
in the following year made an arrangement with the family of the latter whereby he acquired 
control of their interests in the business, and they withdrew from the management. For a 
number of years after this Mr. Towne was practically alone in the management of the business, 
and became, ultimately, its sole owner. In 1881, the business had developed so largely as to 
necessitate a large increase of capital for its proper conduct. Mr. Towne therefore increased 
the capital stock to $500,000, retaining himself a controlling .share, and disposing of the 
the balance to other parties, among whom were a number of his employees and associates 
in the management. A few years later, the rapid growth of the business led to a further 
increase of capital, which was then raised to its present amount of $1,000,000. Various other 
products were gradually added to the company's line of manufacture, so that the original 
corporate name was no longer appropriate, and it was therefore changed, by action of the 
directors and stockholders, to the present name of "The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Com- 
pany," and a special charter obtained from the state of Connecticut. 

Mr. Towne had been originally attracted to the business chiefly by the opportunity, 
which he believed was afforded by the Yale key lock, for developing an important new 
industry-. While nmch younger than Mr. Yale, his previous mechanical training had made 
him familiar with the value of modern machinery and processes, as applied to manufacturing, 
and his inherited tastes led him to seek the opportunity of employing this knowledge in the 
building up of a new industry, based on inventions and devices which were not merely novel, 
but distinctly in advance of those then generally used, and which, under proper management, 
might be so increased as to form the basis of a large and successful business. The final 
outcome has justified these anticipations, although it was only reached after many years of 
effort, trial and inten.se application, and of stniggle against adver.se conditions. 

When Mr. Yale died, the Yale key lock existed only in some half dozen fonns, out of 
which, however, has since been developed the present Hue, comprising several hundred 
varieties and embod\in^ numerous improxements and inventions made by Mr. Towne and his 
associates in the business. From the outset, the effort was persistent and continuous, not onlv 
to rai.se the quality of workmanship to the highest standpoint, but also to modify and extend 
the application of the Yale system to ever}- form of lock to which it is adapted. The result 
has been the creation of what is conceded uni\ersally to be the best and most secure type 
of key lock in the world, and the largest and best series of fine locks ever made, the influence 
of which has been increasingly felt throughout the trade in the United States, and has 
contributed more than any single cause, in the past twenty-five years, to elevate and improve 
the art of lock making and to place American locks distinctly in advance of all others. 

At the present time that line of the company's products known as "Art Hardware," 
the style of which they have done nnich to elevate, embraces a vast variety of decorative 
metal work, in every important school of ornamentation and of the highest artistic character. 
Much of it is now done on special order, from original designs and in the most expensive 



70 REPRESENTATIVE MEX 

materials, architects and their clients having realized that the metal work used within a building 
not only may be, but most properly should be, treated as an important element in the total 
scheme of decoration. In this, as in its earlier work, the company has had numerous 
imitators and followers, but still easily holds its position as leader, its products of both kinds 
being generally regarded as distinctly the highest and best in the market, and still constituting 
its principal business. 

In 1S75, Mr. Towne obtained exclusive rights under the patents of Mr. T. A. Weston, 
relating to differential chain pulley blocks, and simultaneously acquired, by purchase, the 
business of three manufacturers, each of whom had previously been making pulley blocks in 
competition, thus uniting all interests and obtaining control of the market for this important 
product during the lifetime of the Weston patents. All of these interests were then transferred 
by him to the company, which thereupon added to its lines of product the manufacture of chain 
pullev blocks, and later, the building of cranes and other heavy hoisting machinery. In 
1877-78, ]\Ir. Towne (then controlling all of the stock of the company) also negotiated the 
acquisition of the business of two competing lock manufacturers, namely : the United States 
Lock Compan^• of Kingston, Mass., and the American Lock Company of Cassanobia, N. Y., 
thereby greatly strengthening the position of the company in its key lock business. A year 
later, a partnership arrangement was entered into with Sargent & Greenleaf of Rochester, 
N. Y., for the pooling of interests relating to time locks, whereby the parties to the agreement 
ended a long and expensive patent litigation, and secured a controlling position in this field. 
This i^elationship has continued to the present time with mutual benefit and satisfaction, and 
now embraces bank locks of all kinds. 

The last invention of Mr. Yale, before his death, was the application of his key lock to a 
metallic letter box, for use in post offices. This device, now known as the Yale Lock Box, was 
developed coincidentally with the other parts of the business, and is now in world-wide use, 
having been adopted b\- the post-office department of the United States government, and by 
those of manv foreign countries. Recognizing that this part of the business would be strength- 
ened by including with it the manufacture of all the woodwork and other fittings required for 
the complete equipment of post-offices, ]\Ir. Towne organized a department for this purpose 
in 1 87 1, thus being the first to undertake the manufacture of post-office equipments as a 
distinct specialty. This department grew steadily, and in time became important, but shared 
the fate of most innovations in having later a multitude of imitators, who, while accepting 
the original article as their model, have not always maintained its high standard of excellence, 
so that the Yale post-office box, like its allied products, still holds an undisputed position 
of leadership. The latest addition to the company's lines of product is the manufacture of 
cabinet and trunk locks, which was inaugurated in 1891 as a separate department, and which 
is now fully organized and equipped wath the best and most modern niachiner\-. 

The operations conducted in the works embrace a very unusual range and variety of 
mechanical products. The original building was erected in 1868-69. The first addition was 
made in 1872, since which date further additions have been made almost annually. The com- 
pany's property covers an area of about twenty-one acres, with a water frontage and railroad 
connections. About 1,100 employees are engaged under normal conditions. 

Mr. Towne is director in several other corporations and a member of various scientific 
organizations and clubs. He is a life-member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 
was its vice-president in 1884-86, its president in 1888—89, and a frequent contributor to its 
transactions. During the latter year he ser\-ed as chairman of the joint party of American 
engineers visiting England and France, about three hundred in number, who were the 
recipients of great hospitality from foreign engineering societies. During 1889-90 he was an 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1S94. 71 

active member of the New York Coinmission on the World's Fair, servin<^ on the committee 
on site and buildings, and also on the executive committee, until the decision was made 
that the fair should be held in Chicago. He is also a member of the American Society' of 
Civil Engineers, and of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, as well as of various social 
clubs in New York. In 1888 he received the honorary degree of A. M. from the University 
of Pennsylvania. 

A descripti\e article on the Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company in Picturesque 
Stamford^ published in 1893, closed with the following paragraph : 

Nor can any statement of the l)enefit of The Yale & Towne industry to Stamford be complete which 
omits meiUion of what the personal influence of its president, Henry R. Towne, has contributed towards the 
most important improvements in the affairs of the borough and town which have been accomplished or in- 
augurated within the last ten years. Of these the most notable and significant — the general sewerage sj-stem 
and the general and marked change for the better in the streets of the borough — are achievements largely 
due to his exertions and influence. Indeed, in almost every phase and form in which modern progressive 
ideas have taken practical shape in advancing the material interests of the town and borough for the last ten 
or fifteen years, Jlr. Towne's influence has been felt, and always in earnest support of those measures and 
methods which in a few years have wrought so radical a change in the appearance and prospects of the town — 
especially the borough — and in the spirit and temper of a majority of the people as related to public enter- 
prise and the march of modern improvements in .America. It was a work of time and of patience, and its 
achievements are at once the more honorable and the more enduring in that they are results, not of the more 
or less questionable manoeuvres of "practical politics," but of the open, frank, courteous and logical 
discussion upon their true merits, of the various questions at issue from time to time. 




"1|ARNUM, WILLIAM HENRY, of Lime Rock, e.x-member of Congress and 
ex-United States senator, was born in the village of Bo.ston Corners, New York, 
^^i Sept. 17, 1818. He was the son of Milo and Laura (Tibbetts) Barnum. No 
less than six governors of Massachusetts and one of Connecticut, as well as the 
war governors of several other states, were born in the year 1818. That year is 
noted in the annals of the country as the birth-year of a goodly number of men who made a 
name for themselves in the business or literary world or in the wider field of national affairs. 
Though Mr. Barnum received a good English education in the local public schools, he 
was not a university man, and did not attain to the high degree of culture now within the 
reach of nearly every young man. He graduated from the college of experience and observa- 
tion ; and honors gained here often have more value than the traditional sheepskin. Soon 
after attaining his majorit\ he engaged in business with his father, ^lilo Barnum, in the 
production of iron from the ore, and as so large a portion of his life was connected with 
the iron industry-, some explanatory words would seem fitting. As early as 1734 a forge was 
erected in the village of Lime Rock, the present headquarters of the Barnum-Richardson 
Company. The ore beds having been developed, during the Revolutionary War large 
quantities of cannon, cannon balls, shells, etc., were made here for the general government. 
In the spring of 1830, Milo Barnum, the founder of the existing company, settled in Lime 
Rock, and began business as a merchant. The foundr\- for the re-nielting of pig-iron was 
built about the same time, and soon after came under his control. He associated with him 
Leonard Richardson, his .son-in-law, and later his son William H., the firm then being Barnum, 
Richardson & Co. The foundry- business was carried on in a limited way in connection 
with the store, the production being chiefly clock and sash weights, plough castings and other 
small work. The business gradually increased, however, and about 1S40 they began the 
manufacture of railroad work, such as chairs, frogs, heel-blocks, etc., for the Western Railroad, 



72 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

(now part of the Boston and Albany road), then being Iniilt from vSpringfield to Albany. 
As the great tensile strength, combined with the chilling properties of the Salisbury iron, 
renders it specially valuable for the manufacture of chilled cast iron car-wheels, their produc- 
tion nafurally followed other railroad work. The iron early obtained its present excellent repu- 
tation for making ordnance, malleable iron and machinery. In 1852, Milo Barnnm retired 
from active participation in the business, and the firm name was changed to Richardson, 
Barnum & Company, under whose management the business rapidly increased. The present 
joint stock company called the Barnum-Richardson Company was formed in 1864, and since 
its organization large additions to the facilities have been made by the erection of new woi'ks 
and the purchase of further interests in mining companies already in existence. To this 
development, not only in the magnitude of the business but also of the processes of manufac- 
turing and the lines of goods manufactured, Mr. Barnum contributed more than his full share. 
His great executive ability showed itself at an early age, and his native shrewdness was made 
still more acute by experience. Besides his interests in the Salisbury district, he had interests 
in the mining sections of the West. 

Manufacturing largely the articles used by railroads, it was but natural that Mr. Barnum 
should become interested in the management of the companies themselves. He was president 
of the Honsatonic road for many years. When he took hold of it the road was a piece of 
unprofitable property ; but his energy infused fresh life into the corporation. For some time 
he was president of the Connecticut Western road, and was a director in both roads at the 
time of his death. He also had a share in the movement which resulted in the building of 
the Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West Railroad. 

In 185 1, Mr. Barnum was elected to represent his town in the .state legislature, and was 
re-elected in 1S52. Although very active in politics, he declined to accept further renomi- 
nations until 1866, when he consented to run for Congress on the Democratic ticket, and was 
elected, ser^-ing as the representative of the Fourth Connecticut district. This was the famous 
Barnum vs. Barnum campaign — P. T. against W. H., and it was one of the hottest political 
contests ever waged in the annals of Connecticiit. In the arena of national politics and 
legislation, he became at once a prominent figure. In 1866 he was sent as a delegate from 
Connecticut to the National Union convention, held in Philadelphia, and was a delegate to 
the National Democratic conventions of 1868, 1872, 1876, 1880, 1884 and 1888. Re-elected 
to congress in 1869, he took a distinguished part in the legislation of that term, and developed 
great strength as a party leader and an exponent of Democratic ideas. His course was warmly 
approved by his constituents, and he was re-elected to the Forty-second, Forty-third and Forty- 
fourth Congresses. While a member of the National House of Representatives, Air. Barnum 
served upon a number of most important committees, and was chairman of several. Upon the 
death of Hon. Orrin S. Ferry, a United States senator from Connecticut, Mr. Barnum's name 
was instantly coupled with the succession. When the business of filling the vacancy caused 
by Senator Ferry's death came up in the Connecticut legislature of 1876, four candidates 
were balloted for; namely: Henry B. Harrison, Republican; James E. English and William 
H. Barnum, both Democrats; and Charles R. Ingersoll, also a Democrat, who received votes 
in the lower house only. On May 17, 1876, when both houses met in joint convention, 
Mr. Barnum received 168 of the 267 votes cast, Mr. English six, and Mr. Ingersoll one, the 
remainder going to Mr. Harrison. Mr. Barnum was accordingly declared elected on the first 
ballot. His term in the Senate lasted from May, 1876, to March 3, 1879. At the close of 
the campaign in the former year he was made chairman of the National Democratic committee, 
succeeding the Hon. Abram S. Hewitt of New York. He was continued in this responsible 
position during the campaign of 1880 at the request of the nominee for the presidency in that 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 73 

year, Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, and the choice was a deserved recoo^nition of his hif^h aljility 
and distinjrnished services in the party councils durinjj many previous campaigns, notalily in 
that of 1S76, when he labored with indefatigable zeal in the interests of the Hon. Samuel J. 
Tildcn, whose wann friend he remained through life. Mr. Barnum was one of those who 
believed ]Mr. Tilden should accept a renomination as a presidential candidate in 1880, and 
personally urged him to do so. When General Hancock was selected he gave him his enthu- 
siastic support, and, being honored with the fullest confidence of that brilliant soldier, con- 
ducted the campaign of 1880 in his interests with unwearying effort and consummate skill. In 
18S4 he was again chairman of the National Democratic committee, and as such conducted 
the campaign which resulted in the election of the Hon. ( irover Cleveland to the presidency. 
Much against his will, he remained chairman of the connnittee during the campaign of 1888, 
and up to the time of his death, having ser\-ed in such position continuously for nearly 
thirteen years. 

Senator Barnum possessed an acute intellect and great shrewdness of perception. He 
read men as if they were open books, and was rarely at fault in his estimates of character. 
This was conclusively shown in his selection of his lieutenants, all of whom were particularly 
well endowed for the duties they were called upon to perform. As an organizer and e.vecutive 
he possessed rare powers and had a wide repute. It has been said of him that " as a politician 
he was more abused than any member of the Democratic party, simply for the reason that he 
could not be managed." He was Jacksonian in his ideas and methods, and an indication of 
the character of the man is found in his famous epigrammatic saying, "I never give up the 
fight before the liattle is begun" — an expression which has almost attained to the dignity 
of a proverb. There was a rugged and honest independence in his character which was based 
upon a noble manhood. He was one of the most active and industrious of men. It is more 
than probable that his death was the result of overwork during the great campaigns he 
personally directed. There was nothing of the self-seeking politician in the man, as was 
clearly shown after the great party victory- of 1884. Satisfied that the Democracy was in 
power he made no demands and had no favorites to present for appointment or preferment. 
The labor perfoniied by j\Ir. Barnum in connection with politics was most exacting and 
onerous, but he was never known to shirk a duty. His tra\elling alone invoh'ed a strain 
which made heavy demands upon his endurance. The conduct of the business interests of 
which he was the owner or directing head, likewise made heavy demands upon his time and 
attefttion, but he seemed adequate to the discharge of e\-ery duty, and met every requirement. 
Few men surpassed him in his ajipreciation of home and love for his family and the delights 
of the domestic circle. 

Mr. Barnum was prostrated by a serious illness in 1888, and although he rallied from it, 
he did not again regain his hold upon health. Nevertheless, he did not take to his bed until 
about four days before his death, which occurred on April 30, 1889. He died surrounded by 
his family and friends. In the neighborhood of his home his death was regarded as a personal 
bereavement by all, and there was not a house in the village without its badge of mourning 
on the day of his funeral. In conformity with Mr. Bamum's manner of life, and in hannony 
with the wishes of the family, the funeral services were conducted without ostentation. No 
sennon was preached nor eulogy pronounced. The attendance of from 1200 to 1500 lifelong 
friends and business and political a.ssociatcs from all sections of the conntr\- spoke louder than 
words. It was a sermon in itself, and was a better tribute to the memory of the departed 
one than the most eloquent sennon or flowery- eulog}- would have been. Throughout the 
whole countr\- his death was noted as that of an able .\merican statesman. The New York 
Hrralii, conunenting editorially upon it in the issue of May ist, said: "In the death of 



74 



REPRESENTA TU E MEN 



William H. Barniini, yesterday, the Democratic party loses one of its ablest fighters. His 
sagacity, experience and nerve Avill be missed in the battles that are to come." Among the 
tribntes to his memory that may be quoted was that of his friend, Ex-President Cleveland, 
who was profonndly tonched by the intelligence of his death, and said: "Air. Barnnm was 
the most nnselfish man I ever knew. He gave liberally of his time and money for the benefit 
of the Democratic party, and never used his position as chairman of the national committee 
to advance the fortunes of himself or his political friends." 

A few descriptive sentences are quoted from tributes of numerous papers: "Even as a 
boy he was a model for a business man of the old Yankee type — that type which has pushed 
its fortunes wherever it could find place for them, without regard to what the work to be 
done was." "He was a remarkable specimen of the self-made business man, along-headed 
organizer, a keen judge of men, an untiring worker." " He had also held a seat in the Senate, 
where he won the esteem of his colleagues by unfailing courtesy and indirstr}-, and a broad 
and intelligent grasp of public affairs." " Although a prominent Democrat, he did not agree 
with man\- of the leaders in his part}' in the policy of ' tariff for revenue only.' He was not 
a Free Trader in any sense, but held to the Republican idea that American manufactures 
should be encouraged by siich a tariff as would afford them protection against the encroach- 
ments of goods made by pauper labor in foreign countries. And yet his endeavors for the 
siiccess of the Democratic party at the polls were most vigorous." 

The resolutions passed by the Democratic National Committee, besides expressing pro- 
found loss, personally and as a party, contained the following estimate of Mr. Barnnm 's 
character: "His impartiality, tireless energy, liberality, sound judgment, rare knowledge 
of men, and acute penetration into the causes of political results, marked him as one of the 
most competent, as well as most devoted, of party managers. To his fidelity to official 
duty, the people of the State of Connecticut and of the countiy, particularly those who 
were his colleagues in Congress, unanimously bear witness. Respecting his great merits as 
a private citizen and man of affairs, there is uni\-ersal concurrence among a wide circle of 
associates and friends, including many to whom his business enterprises furnished 
employment." 

Said one who knew him well, "Though not a professing Christian, he came nearer to 
the practice of Christian \-irtues in all his relations with his fellow men than most people 
who claim to be guided by the teachings of the Gospel. In his family relations he was 
truly a model husband and father. Though alwa}-s overburdened with the cares of his 
business, he never brought them into the family circle ; there was never a place for them 
there ; he entered deeply into the hearts and affections of his wife and children ; never was 
there a more loving and de\oted famih- ; it was a model family, about it has been shed the 
holiest and sweetest influences ; he was alwa\s in his home so kind and gentle, so firm and 
yet so indulgent; he had the love and respect of his children as fully as a father could." 

Mr. Barnnm was married in Christ Church, Hartford, on Dec. 7, 1847, to Charlotte 
Ann, daughter of Charles Burrall. Mrs. Barauni, with two sons and two daughters, still sur- 
vives. Charles W. Barnnm, the elder son, succeeded to the management of the Salisbury 
iron business and resides at Lime Rock; the other son, William ]\I. Barnnm, is a member 
of the law firm of Simpson, Thacher & Banium of New York City ; one of the daughters 
is the wife of Rev. Howard S. Clapp. 




OF CONNECTICUT, iS6i-jSij4. 75 



'KWELL, MARSHALL, who was thrice governor of the coininonwealth, subse- 
quently envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiar)- to Russia, and still 
later postmaster-general of the United States, was born at Winchester, N. II., 
on Oct. 20, 1825, and died at Hartford, Conn., on Feb. 10, 1883. 

He was descended in the se\entli generation from Thomas Jewell, a native 
of England, who was one of the early emigrants to New England, and wlio, in 1639, settled 
at Wollaston, near Oninc>-. Mass., where he had obtained a grant of land. Until the present 
centun*- the ancestors of Mr. Jewell followed farming as their sole occupation, but his father, 
Pliny Jewell, a native of New Hampshire, and at one time an active Whig politician, and 
member of the legislature of that state, was not only a farmer l^it also a practical tanner. 
Pliny Jewell gave up farming in 1845 and removed to Hartford, Conn., and there established 
a succe.'^sfnl Ijusiness as a tanner and manufacturer of leather belting, in which he continued 
until his dealh, a few years later. Marshall Jewell was one of five sons. His elder brother, 
Hon. Harvey Jewell, LL.D., who died in 1881, was a lawyer of distingui.shed ability, who 
was at one time a candidate for the office of governor of INIassachusetts, and later in life 
a judge of the court of commi.ssioners of Alabama Claims. His three other brothers, Plinv, 
Lyman and Charles, also engaged in business and achieved wealth and distinction in their 
calling. 

The subject of this sketch was brought up on a farm but was taught the trade of tanning 
by his father. He was not yet of age when, becoming interested in electricity, he went to 
Boston, and there made a study of it particular]},- in its application to telegraphy, then in 
its infancy. In 1847 he went to Rochester, N. Y., where he mastered practical telegraphv, 
at which he worked for a short time, first in the city named and afterwards at Akron, Ohio, 
Columbus, Tenn., and Jackson, Miss. In 1848^ when but twenty-three years of age, he 
superintended the construction of telegraph lines between Louisville and New Orleans, 
being thus occupied nearly a year. In 1849 he was called to Boston, Ma.ss., and was 
appointed general superintendent of the New York and Boston telegraph line. Although 
practically certain of a distinguished future in connection willi the development of telegraphy 
he quietly gave it up at the request of his father, whose business had grown to such a degree 
that he needed "the assistance of his son. A few^ years later the elder Jewell died, and the 
business was re-organized under the firm name of Pliny Jewell & Sons. Mr. Jewell, who was 
now the head of the firm, rapidly developed what may tnily be called a remarkable talent for 
business. Becoming impressed by the belief that the tanning industrs- was being conducted 
according to old fashioned methods, which might be improved by a knowledge of the methods 
followed in other countries, he went abroad in 1859, and devoted several months to a careful 
study of the trade at the principal points wdiere it is carried on in Great Britain and 
France. Becoming convinced that there was nuich to be learned in this way he repeated his 
visit in the following year, and in 1865 made a third visit, extending his journey and 
investigations on this last occasion to parts of Asia and Africa. Under the methods — 
commercial, technical and scientific — employed by Mr. Jewell, the business which he directed 
became one of the most flourishing of its kind in the world and made him a ver>- rich man. 
Mr. Jewell first came prominently into politics in 1868, when he was the Republican 
candidate in his district for the State Senate. He had joined the Republican ranks among 
the first in the state, and was widely known as an intelligent and enthusiastic supporter 
of the party's principles, but until the year named could not be induced to run for any office. 
Pressed by his friends to do so, he accepted, later in 1868, the Republican nomination for 
governor of Connecticut. Although unsuccessful as a candidate for both the offices mentioned, 



76 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

lie was defeated for governor by such a small majority that his party insisted npon again 
placing him at the head of the ticket in 1869 and he was elected, serving from May in that 
year to May, 1870. Re-nominated in 1870 he was defeated by the Hon. James E. English, 
who had previously served two terms as governor — 1867 and 1868 — and who was still very 
strong with all classes of the people, being a "War Democrat" and a man of high cliaracter. 
In 1871 Mr. Jewell was for a third time placed at the head of the Republican ticket and was 
elected ; and being re-nominated at the close of his second term was re-elected and served 
a third, his entire administration as chief executive of the state covering the years 1869, 1871 
and 1872. 

Governor Jewell came to the executive chair with the most just and practical ideas 
regarding the public welfare, and he left a marked impression upon the legislation of the 
three j'ears mentioned. Among the most noticeable reforms effected during his administration 
were a re-organization of the state militia, a change in the laws concerning the rights of 
married women to property and also in those of divorce. Some excellent laws bearing on the 
government of Yale College also were passed; biennial elections were authorized and the 
erection of a new state house at Hartford was begun. He left the capitol with the respect 
of the entire people, in whose good esteem he remained until the day of his death. 

In 1873 President Grant offered Governor Jewell the distinguished post of minister to 
the court of St. Petersburgh. He accepted this position, and although abroad only a year 
he rendered most important service to American interests. A practical business man and 
coming from a state renowned for the variet\' of its manufactures, he soon observed that 
a large part of the so-called American goods sold in Russia, such as sewing machines, scales, 
etc., etc., were only fraudulent imitations. Through his efforts a trade mark treaty was 
negotiated with the Russian government, by which the interests of American manufacturers 
and of the Russian people were equally protected. While in Russia he continued his 
investigations upon tanning, and was richly rewarded b}- the discovery that the secret of the 
peculiar aroma of Russia leather lies in the use of birch bark in the process. This discovery 
was fraught with great benefit to the American tanners, who have since manufactured Russia 
leather with perfect success. 

Recalled from the Russian mission in 1874, he was at once appointed postmaster-general 
in the cabinet of President Grant. To this important department of the government placed 
under his charge he applied the rules of business, and boldly instituted the most sweeping 
reforms, conducting every proceeding with the inflexible integrity so characteristic of him 
through life, and with an utter disregard for precedent or politicians. The notorious " straw - 
bids" and other corrupt practices in the states of Texas and Alabama were at once detected, 
and speedily abolished by him to a great extent through the famous "Star- route" trials. 
He also established fast mail trains and effected other salutan,- changes of great advantage 
to the people. Stich a vigorous administration as he gave to the department proved excessively 
distasteful to the politicians of both parties, who were using it for their own purposes, and 
he incurred their active hostility. He was too honorable a man to abate his vigilance in 
the public service to please any one, and was ultimately sacrificed — a victim to his high 
principles. He resigned the postmaster-generalship in July, 1876. The people of Connecticut, 
justly proud of his splendid record in the public service, took occasion to show their apprecia- 
tion of it by giving him an enthusiastic public welcome upon his return to his home at 
Hartford. 

Once free from the cares of office, Mr. Jewell devoted himself to his private business, 
which had assumed great proportions, and to the discharge of his duties as director, trustee, 
etc., in a number of banks, corporations, and other institutions, charitable as well as com- 



OF CONNECTICUT, /S61-1S94. • 77 

iiiercial, where his sen-ices were always highly valued. In the presidential campaign of 1S76 
he warmly snpported Mr. Hayes. In 1879, he was the candidate of his part}- for the United 
States senate, and was defeated by only two votes in the legislative caucus. Although urged to 
take an active part in the Republican national convention of 1880, he declined to do so, not 
desiring to oppose General Grant — then a candidate for a third term — for whom he still 
retained a personal regard, though not in favor of his renomination. Chosen chairman of the 
national Republican committee, he gave his splendid abilities without reserve to the conduct 
of the campaign which resulted in the election of Garfield and Arthur. His numerous speeches 
to large assemblages during this canvass, and the unremitting efforts he made to ensure the 
success of the nominees, seriously impaired his health, and when stricken with pneumonia in 
the latter part of the winter of 1882—83, he had not the strength to overcome the disease, 
and died, as previously stated. 

In his death Connecticut lost one of her greatest and purest citizens. The grief of the 
people of the state, irrespective of part\-, was profound, and was shared by the lovers of 
ideal citizenship and official purity in all parts of the Union. General Jewell's whole career 
stamps him as a high-minded, patriotic and unusually valuable citizen and public officer. 
During the Civil War he resolutely supported the national government, giving freely of his 
means to aid in fitting out troops, and for the support of the widows and orphans of those 
who fell in battle. His influence as a wealthy manufacturer was very great, and was always 
wielded in a manner helpful to the Union cause. He had always entertained a deep abhorrence 
of slavery and rejoiced in its abolition. In religious convictions he was a Congregationalist, 
and attended the ser\-ices of the church all his life, and contributed generously to its special 
work and charities. He was a man of fine nature and manners, and as a public speaker 
ranked w-ith the ablest of his contemporaries. His character had a simplicity which made it 
striking, and at all times he was found on the side of right and justice. He was married 
in 1852 to Miss Esther Dickinson, daughter of William Dickinson, a highly respected resident 
of Newburg, N. Y. This estimable lady, with two daughters, survived him. 




SjiLARK, WILLIAM BRADDOCK, of Hartford, president of the .^itna Insurance 
Company, was born in that city June 29, 1841. 

Mr. Clark comes of a sturdy English stock, his first American ancestor 
being John Clark, who after a short residence in Newtown (now Cambridge), 
Ma3s., moved to Hartford in the company which settled there in 1635. His 
name appears upon the monument in the old cemetery in the rear of the Center Congre- 
gational Church as one of the early settlers of Hartford. He was a soldier in the famous 
Pequot fight of 1637, and in 1657 he transferred his residence to Fannington, and he and 
his wife became members of the First Church in that town. His son, Matthew, had a son 
John, and Abel, son of the second John, was one of the seventy signers to an agreement 
dated September 3, 1775, to go to Boston for the relief of the besieged inhabitants, but 
was prevented by sickness from taking an active part in the war. A third John in the 
family line was a fanner, and served in the war of 1812 as corporal in Capt. Daniel 
Deming's company, and was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. 

His parents were Abel N. and Emily I. Clark. Mr. Clark, Sr., was for twenty 
years connected with the Hartford Courant, and was practically identified with its success 
during those years. His industn.- was a most prominent trait in his character, while his 



78 • REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

fidelity to every trust and dutv, great and small, was equally conspicuous. His death 
occurred in 1867, several years before he had reached the half century mark, in the very 
prime of his manhood. A mention of him in the New York Times says : "In the death 
of Mr. Clark the editorial fraternity has lost one of its most useful members, and the city 
one of her most active, upright business men. His loss will be deeply deplored b\- a large 
circle of friends, both at home and abroad." 

After passing through the old North School, and Gallup's "College Green" school, 
instead of completing his education by a regular collegiate course, William K. Clark entered 
his father's newspaper office and remained there for a year. The life of an insurance 
underwriter possessed more attractions for him as a means of gaining both business eminence 
and pecuniary profit, than that offered by the newspaper publisher, and in 1857 he accepted 
a position as clerk in the Phoenix Insurance Company. In this field he found full oppor- 
tunity for the development of all his powers. Six years later, when he was in his 
twenty-third year, he was elected to the responsible post of secretary of the company. 
This position he held until December ist, 1867, when he was chosen assistant secretary of 
the ^tna Insurance Company, and his subsequent life has been identified with the fortunes 
of that monarch in the insurance world. Mr. L. J. Hendee, one of the most snccessfitl 
insurance managers Hartford has ever known, was president, and tinder his guidance Mr. 
Clark became familiar with the vast detail connected with the ^?5tna's business, and was 
regarded by his chief with the utmost triist and confidence. 

The decease of President Hendee, Sept. 4, 1888, necessitated a number of changes in 
the administration of the company. ]\Ir. Jotham Goodnow, who had been secretary' for a 
long series of years, was made president, and Air. Clark, who received the unanimous vote 
of the board of directors, was ad\anced to the vice-presidency. His thirty years' training 
in subordinate capacities gave him a splendid equipment for the position, and, developing 
under its responsibilities, his course was characterized by ability and judgment of the high- 
est order. He soon became entitled to a place in the front rank of the insurance magnates 
of New England. 

On the death of Vlx. Goodnow, Nov. 19th, 1S92, it was but a logical sequence of the 
past polic}- of the ^5Jtna that he was promoted to the presidency of the company. Not to 
avail themselves of his practical experience and tried executive ability would have been 
simply suicidal on the part of the directors. The selection was most warmly commended 
by the local papers and the insurance journals. Although next to the youngest president 
in point of years, in actual service with the Hartford companies, Mr. Clark is the senior 
insurance officer in the city. 

In the course of its article at the time, the Insurance Post said: "His large work as 
vice-president is too well known to need any comment, and h\ a singular coincidence, his 
recent election to the presidency occurred just twenty-five years to a day from the date that 
he entered the company's sers-ice. In token of such anniversary and his election, Mr. Clark 
was given an ovation in the company's dining-room, and was presented with a beautiful gift 
in cut glass and silver, from the entire office force assembled." 

The Insiirainc Sim expressed the following opinion: "William B. Clark, the able 
vice-president of the ^^tna of Hartford, has been advanced to the presidency of that company 
on the death of the former chief executive, Mr. Goodnow. Mr. Clark has long earned 
this honor, as he has been the active and efficient mover of events in the company's 
management." 

The Independent felt safe in making the prediction: " He is universally regarded as one 
of the ablest fire insurance underwriters in Hartford, and, as is well known, that city has 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 79 

some very- able insurance iiien. He has had much to do, particularly since his election as 
secretary in 1867, and vice-president in 188S, in the direction of affairs of the ^tna, 
familiarly called for the last fifty years 'The Old ^tna ' — it began business in 1819 — 
and under his manajjcment it is perfectly safe to predict the continued prosperity of the 
company." 

Greater things are expected by the lusurance Age in the future: "\V. 15. Clark, the 
new president, is a man who will well and ably fill the executive chair. He finds himself 
president of the largest fire insurance company in assets and capital in this country, its 
capital stock being $4,000,000, and its a.ssets on Jan. i, 1892, $10,659,139. He will doubtless 
bring and keep the .53tna even more actively in the field than it has been for years." 

Perhaps the most correct estimate of all (because given by one who knew him best) 
is the editorial t)piniou of the Hartford Couraiil : "The election of president of the ,litna 
(h'ire) Insurance Company, recorded elsewhere, is an event not only of interest but of importance 
to Hartford. The standing of all our fire companies is admirable, and they rank among 
the first in the country. And the ^Etna is the largest, not only of these, but of all in the 
United States. It stands there, with its more than ten millions of assets and its record of 
$70,000,000 already paid out for losses, as the great fire company of America. It is, therefore, 
of large importance to know who will manage it in the future, and there will be universal 
satisfaction that the directors have chosen William B. Clark as president and executive head 
of this great concern. Mr. Clark is a native of Hartford and has been just a quarter of a 
century with the ^Etua. He knows it and he knows its business. A man of character, 
decision, experience and judgment, he is cspecialh- qualified for the responsible duties that 
fall to him, and the Coiinui/ congratulates both the old company and new president." 

President Clark has found time to obey the call of his fellow-citizens to serve them in 
an official capacity. In April, 1880, he was elected a member of the Board of Aldermen, 
and filled that position for two years. He was appointed the aldermanic chairman of the 
ordinance committee, the mayor holding the chairmanship ex officio, and in this situation he 
rendered excellent service to his constituents. At the conclusion of his term in the Board 
of .\ldcrmen he was appointed a member of the Board of Water Connnissioners, and held 
that position for nine years, rendering some of the most efficient and practical service the 
commission has ever seen. Financial and other corporations have called for and received a 
portion of his time and energy. In July, 1875, he was chosen a director in the Travelers' 
Insurance Company; in January, 1879,116 became a director in the City Bank ; July, 1883, he 
was made a director in Mechanics' Savings Bank; in June, 1891, he was elected trustee of the 
Society for Savings, and in January, 1893, trustee of the Holland Trust Company, New York. 

Benevolent and charitable institutions have ever found a friend in President Clark. In 
April, 1880, he was made a member of the corporation of the Hartford Hospital, and in 
April, 1890, he was elected a director of the Retreat for Insane. He is a valued member 
of the Connecticut Historical Society, and takes a zealous interest in all its transactions. 
Before he had attained his majority, he was an enthusiastic member of the original "Wide- 
Awakes" of 1861, and was an active participant in the doings of that noted organization. 
His Republicanism in 1893 has as true a ring as in the days of the great presidential cam- 
paign of 1S60. Mr. Clark is a member of the \'eteran Corps of the old first company of 
the (.Governor's Foot Cxuard. 

His religious affiliations are with the 'first Baptist Church, of which he has been clerk 
of the society and member of the society's committee for more than a quarter of a centur}-. 
Aside from his liberal contribution to the support of the church and its numerous charities. 
President Clark is an active personal worker in the \iueyard of the Lord. The president of 



8o REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

the JEtna. Insurance Company holds a unique position in the minds of Hartford people, but 
not alone as the representative of an immense corporation, is ]\Ir. Clark held in high esteem 
by the citizens of the capital city. Of all that goes to make up a model citizen he is an 
excellent type, and his reputation as a man and as an insurance official stands on equal 
terms. Having but barely passed the half century mark, President Clark has yet many 
years opening out before him in which to make the record of the ^tna grander and more 
magnificent than that attained by his honored predecessors in the past. 

May 13, 1863, Mr. Clark was married to Caroline H., daughter of the late Philemon F. 
Robbins. Five children blessed this union, but only the three daughters are living, the 
two sons having died in early youth. 




^OWARD, JAMES LELAND, ex-lieutenant-governor of Connecticut, was bom 
f\ in Windsor, Vt., the i8th day of Januarj', 1818. His ancestors came from 
^ England and originally settled in Massachusetts some time previous to 1650. 
Benjamin Howard, Jr., was born in Mendon, Mass., the 23d of August, 
1 713, married Mary Wheaton and died at Jamaica, Vt., the 29th of October, 
1783. He had eighteen children, sixteen sons and two daughters. Calvin, his son, was 
born in Mendon in 1762, and married Hannah Wellman. He removed to Jamaica, \'t., in 
1780, with his father and six brothers, and died at Gouverneur, N. Y., in 1850. He had 
twelve children, seven sons and five daughters. Leland, his son, father of James L., was 
born in Jamaica, Vt., the 13th of October, 1793, and died at Rutland, Vt., the 6th of May, 
1870. He was a prominent clergy-man of the Baptist clnirch, commenced preaching when 
only seventeen years of age, his first settlement being at Windsor, Vt., in June, 1816, and 
during his ministry of more than 50 years, he was pastor of Baptist churches in Windsor, Vt., 
Troy, N. ¥., Brooklyn, N. Y., Norwich, N. Y., Newport, R. I., Meriden, Conn., Hartford, 
N. Y., and Rxitland, Vt. He was a man of broad and generous character, loved his work 
as pastor and was greatly beloved and honored by his many parishioners. It was said of him 
at his death : "Such was Leland Howard; he has finished his course, he has kept the faith, 
he has left no stain iipon his character or his profession; he was a good man and just." 
He was manied in June, 1816, to Lucy I\Iason, daughter of Capt. Isaiah ]\Iasou of Ira, Vt., 
and had eight children, four sons and four daughters. 

James Leland, his eldest son, the subject of onx sketch, received a practical business 
education and entered upon a mercantile life in the city of New York in 1833. At the age 
of twenty he removed to Hartford, Conn., and in 1841 formed a co-partnership with Edmund 
Hurlburt under the firm name of " Hurlburt & Howard," for the manufacture and sale of 
carriage and saddler}- hardware, their place of business being next north of the City Hotel 
on ]\Iain street. He eventually purchased Mr. Hurlburt's interest and soon after admitted 
his brothers to the partnership under the firm name of "James L. Howard &. Company." 
This firm was one of the first in the United States to engage in the manufacture and sale of 
railroad car furnishings, and to this business the firm devoted its best energies and resources 
with marked success. In 1846, the firm built their extensive block and factory on Asylum 
street, where the business is still continued. In 1876, a special charter was granted by the 
state giving the partners a corporate relation, but retaining the old title of "James L. Howard 
& Company," and James L. Howard has been president of the corporation since its organization. 




■^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 81 

Mr. Howard is eminently a man of affairs and the financial and bnsiness interests of 
Hartford have, for the past fifty years, encjaged his earnest attention. He was chosen a 
director in the Phoenix Bank in 1854, and still retains his place on the board. He was one 
of the coq^orators of the Travelers' Insurance Company and has been a director from the 
date of its organization in 1864 ; also vice-president of the Hartford County Mutual Fire 
Insurance Company, and president of the Hartford City Gas Light Company since 1880; and 
director in a number of manufacturing companies, where his bnsiness ability is recognized and 
his counsel appreciated. In 1846, Mr. Howard was appointed agent of the Mutual Benefit 
Life Insurance Company of Newark, N. J., and his own policy bears the early number of 
" 1079." It was in his counting room that some of the first conferences were held which 
resulted in the organization of the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company of Hartford, 
the leading spirits in the enterprise being Dr. Guy R. Phelps and Elisha B. Pratt, Esq. 
Active in politics, though never seeking office, Mr. Howard has honored and received honor 
from many official positions, acting successively as councilman, alderman, park commissioner, 
for many years a member of the high school committee, and also one of the building com- 
mittee and treasurer of the funds appropriated for the erection of the present high school 
building. Originally a Whig, he naturally became a Republican when the party of " free 
men, free speech, and free soil," was organized in 1856, and to these principles he has 
willingly given an earnest, never wavering .support. 

In 1886, he was nominated by the Republican State Convention for the office of lieutenant- 
governor, and the nomination was ratified at the polls. With that courtesy and fairness for 
which he is everywhere respected, he presided over the deliberations of the Senate with 
dignity and retired with the esteem of his associates, regardless of party lines. With his 
religions convictions, Governor Howard entertains no compromise ; he is a representative lay- 
man of the Baptist church, and where duty calls him there he will be found. He was the 
first president of the Connecticut Bapti-st Social Union and reelected for several terms ; is 
now president of the board of trustees for the Connecticut Literary Institution of Snffield; 
was president of the Connecticut Baptist Convention from 1871 to 1876; of the American 
Baptist Publication Society from 1881 to 1884; of the American Baptist Home Mission 
Societ\- from 1890 to 1893 ; is president of the Connecticut Baptist Education Society, and 
one of the board of managers of the American Baptist Missionary Union. He is trustee of 
Brown University at Providence, R. I., of Shaw University at Raleigh, N. C, of Spelman 
Seminary- at Atlanta, Ga., of the Newton Theological Seminary at Newton, Mass., and of 
the American Baptist Education Society. He iniited with the First Baptist Church of Hart- 
ford, in Januat)-, 1841, and was chosen a deacon in 1857. His principal religions work has 
been in the interest of his own denomination, but he is liberal in his judgment of others 
and helpful in all good works. A pleasing episode in Mr. Howard's life was the remem- 
brance by his own church in Hartford of his fiftieth anniversary- of continued and faithful 
service, and the expression of heartfelt congratulations by the church and society, that with 
unabated force and vision he was still at the work which he loved, and with those who loved 
him. This testimonial was a spontaneous acknowledgment of eminent .ser\ice in the Master's 
work, e.xpressed in fitting words by his lifelong friend, Hon. James G. Batterson, and was 
ordered b>- a unanimous vote to be engrossed and spread upon the records of the church. 

^Ir. Howard's family and social life has been one of continuous sun.shine. He was married 
on the first day of June, 1842, to Anna, daughter of Hon. Joseph B. Gilbert, ex-treasurer 
of the State of Connecticut. They had five children, three of whom are living: Alice, wife 
of Hon. Edward B. Bennett, postmaster of Hartford ; F;dith Mason, and :i[ary Leland. Two 
have died : Anna, when four years old, and Julia, who married Walter R. Bnsb of Troy, 
N. v., leaving one child, Julia Howard Bush. 




82 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

iNGERSOLL, CHARLES ROBERTS, LL.D., of New Haven, ex-goveruor of 
Connecticut, was born in the city where he now resides, Sept. i6, 182 1. 

The name of Ingersoll is one of the most notable in Connecticut, and also 
in other New England states. Members of the family have occupied conspicuous 
social positions in colonial times as well as in the later history of the state. 
One of Governor Ingersoll's uncles was judge of the United States District Court of Connecticut, 
another was an officer in the United States Navy, and another uncle was a distinguished 
divine in the Protestant Episcopal Church. General Colin M. Ingersoll, his brother, was 
Representative in Congress from 1850 to 1854, and still another served for man}- years as 
an officer in the United States Navy. His great-grandfather, the Rev. Jonathan Ingersoll, 
was a Congregational minister at Ridgefield, and grandfather, Judge Jonathan Ingersoll, was 
among the foremost members of the legal profession in his day, and was a man of intrinsic 
moral worth, and held many influential public positions. Ralph I. Ingersoll, father of 
Charles R., was even more prominent than his predecessors. Nominations to the United 
States Senate and to governorship of the state were declined peremptorily, the resolve to 
accept no political honors which would interfere with the practice of his profession was 
immovable — save in a single exception. In 1846, President Polk appointed him minister 
plenipotentiary to the Russian court, without his knowledge or consent, saying in the official 
letter, "In this instance, at least, the office has sought the man, and not the man the office," 
and added, "I hope you may accept the highly honorable and responsible station now tendered 
you." The nominee did accept the post, and for two years rendered great service to the 
country and honor to the station, as well as himself. He then returned to his profession 
and practiced it with remarkable vigor and unqualified success for the next twenty years. 
He married Margaret \'on Heuvel of New York, a ladv of Dutch ancestr}-. 

Receiving his preliminary education in the public schools of his native city, young 
Ingersoll entered Yale College, and was graduated near the head of the class of 1840. He 
made a brilliant record for himself, but as the " D. K. E.," "Skull and Bones," and other 
societies of to-day were not in existence then, his associations were simph- with the literary 
and general social life of his college days. The two following years were spent visiting 
Europe as a member of the official family of his uncle. Captain Voorhees, commander of the 
United States frigate "Preble." He wisely improved the opportunity thus afforded for 
broadening his mind and increasing his stock of knowledge. Returning to New Haven, 
he entered the Yale Law School, in which he enjoyed the benefit of two years' instruction 
from Judge Samuel J. Hitchcock, Chief Justice David Daggett, and the Hon. Isaac H. 
Townsend. Being admitted to the bar in 1845, he associated himself in practice with his 
distinguished father, and, until the decease of that gentleman thirty years after, sustained 
the relations of law partner to him. Throughout that lengthy period he was engaged as 
counsellor in numerous important suits, which were handled in such a masterly manner as 
to gain for him a wide reputation as a wise, upright, and eminently successful lawyer. 

Educated under the immediate eye of his father, and, except the two years spent 
abroad, always in intimate connection with him, it was but natural that politics should 
share nmch of his attention. As the father sought a controlling influence in the state and 
nation, solelv for the purpose of preserving their safety and prosperity, and of conserving 
and improving their morals, so in the same sense the younger Ingersoll became, and has 
continued to be, a politician. Public stations have sought his acceptance, although he has 
never sought them. It has been said of him: "He has declined more nominations than he 
has accepted, and refused more offices than he has filled." In the sessions of 1856-57-58, 
he represented the town of New Haven in the State Legislature, and occupied influential places 
on committees, making his cultured power as a .speaker felt on the floor. He again ser\-ed 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. - 83 

as a representative of New Haven at the Stale House. A nomination to the State Senate 
he declined, but his oratorical power, his tried integrity, and his comprehensive knowledge 
of legislation, rendered his services invalnable in the lower branch of the legislature. As 
a member of the National Democratic Convention at Chicago in 1864, which nominated Gen. 
McClellan for the presidency, Mr. Ingersoll acted on the committee on resolutions. In 1S72, 
he was again chosen as delegate to tlie National Convention at Raltimore which nominated 
Horace Greeley, and on this occasion he served as chairman of the Connecticut delegation. 

Tlie Democrats of Coiniecticut first nominated Mr. Ingersoll for governor in 1873, and 
eminent politicians certainly dictated their choice. The honor was unsought, and he shrank 
from the responsibilities which it brought, and it "required much persuasion before he 
yielded to the general wish. When the votes were counted it was found that he was elected 
by a handsome majority, ninning far ahead of his ticket in his own town and county. Giving 
the state a clean and judicious administration, he was nominated and elected to the governor- 
ship a second time the following year, this time receiving a majority of over 7000 votes. 
His constituents would not consent to be deprived of his .services in the gubernatorial chair, 
and in 1875 his name was again presented for the suffrages of the citizens of the state. At 
this election he received the highest number of votes ever polled for governor previous to 
that time. In this year Governor Ingersoll signed the bill which had received a two-thirds 
vote of each house, pro\iding for and submitting to the people an amendment to the Con- 
stitution of the state which made an ofTicial term of all state officers and state senators biennial, 
changed the date of the annual election from April to November, and terminated his own 
duties as chief magistrate in January, 1877. He had the honor of being numbered with the 
" Centennial" governors of the several states compo.sing the American Republic in 1876. 
His wisely directed and persistent energy' is largely responsible for the creditable representation 
of the great manufacturing and other capabilities of Connecticut made at the International 
Exhibition held at Philadelphia. Foreseeing the benefit which must accrue from such an 
enterprise, in his public capacity, he used all his powers to make it a decided success. 

At each successive election his competitors were men of high grade, and wortln- repre- 
sentatives of their party. His first rival for the governorship was Mr. Henr>- P. Ha\en of 
New London. In 1874, it was Hon. Henry B. Harrison, afterwards governor of the state ; the 
following year IVIr. Lloyd Greene of Norwich was the candidate, and for his last rival he 
had Hon. Henry C. Robinson, the popular ex-mayor of Hartford. On his retirement from 
the gubernatorial chair, Governor Ingersoll carried with him the unfeigned praise and honest 
admiration of political friends and opponents alike. Said one of the latter: " Ver}- few men 
could be named for office by that part\- (the Democratic) in whose success the people of opposing 
views would .so cheerfully acquiesce." In the comparative privacy of unofficial life he 
nululges his scholarly tastes, and charms all who come in social contact with him by his 
unaffected courtesy and dignified bearing. Having passed the Biblical limit of three-score 
years and ten, he is now quietly enjoying the fruits of the labors of his earlier years. A 
writer in the Uniicrsity Magazine thus pleasantly alludes to him: "Governor IngersolPs 
record in public life is one which most statesmen can only hope for and envv, and it has 
received the praise of his Intterest political opponents. His career as a legal practitioner in 
New Haven is such as to make his snow-white head, his military bearing, and his charming 
personality, a byword throughout the state." Yale's recognition of his eminent services was 
the conferring of the degree of LL.D. in 1874. 

diaries R. Ingersoll was married Dec. 18, 1847, to Virginia, daughter of Admiral Gregory. 
The family now consists of four children, one son and three daughters. In the societv of 
his wife and children. Governor Ingersoll has found some of the purest and most ennobling 
pleasures that fall to the lot of humanity. 




84 REPRESENTATIIE MEN 



JARKER, CHARIvES, of ]\Ieriden, president of the Charles Parker Company, 
was born Jan. 2, 1809, in Cheshire, Conn. This was also the birth year of 
?\1 ?M^^^fe^ ^ galaxy of noted men prominent along different lines of activity. A ^•ery 
H r-6i5-§ft6b partial list wonld inclnde Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin, president 
and vice-president respectively, William E. Gladstone, "the Grand Old Man," 
Robert C. Winthrop, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Edgar A. Poe, Admiral John A. Dahlgren, 
Prof. Charles Darwin, and those stannch old abolitionists, Parker Pillsbury, Oliver Johnson 
and Stephen S. Foster. 

Parker has always been a familiar name in New England. The first of the name in 
Connecticut was William Parker, who was one of the early settlers of Hartford and Saybrook. 
His son John was among the first planters at Wallingford, and, settling about two miles west 
of the village, gave the name to Parker's Farms. John Parker is recorded as being an active 
business man and one who did much for the ad\'ancement of the interests of the settlement — 
an example his descendants have closely followed. Of his family of ten children Edward 
was the eighth, and in his group of ten, Joel was the fourth. Of Joel's five children, Stephen 
was the youngest. 

Charles Parker was the son of Stephen and Rebecca (Stone) Parker. At the age of nine 
years he was placed with a farmer by the name of Porter Cook, with whom he remained until 
he was fourteen. Farm work, interspersed with a limited amount of time spent in the public 
schools, occupied his attention until he was eighteen. His first experience in manufacturing 
was casting buttons for Anson Matthews of Southington. In August, 1828, Mr. Parker came 
to Meriden and went to work making coffee mills for Patrick Lewis. Just before his twen- 
tieth birthday he launched out into business on his own account on a capital of seventy 
dollars, taking a contract from Lewis & Holt for thirteen months to manufacture coffee mills. 
His shop stood nearly opposite his present fine residence, but little did the hard working youth 
realize what the future had in store for him. By industry and economy he acquired eighteen 
hundred dollars on this contract. Making a co-partnership with Mr. Jared Lewis, they 
took another contract from Lewis & Holt, which, besides coffee mills, included ladles and 
skimmers. In January, 1831, he sold out to Mr. Lewis and purchased an acre of ground, 
on which he built a shop and manufactured coffee mills and waffle irons, going into the 
market with his own goods. Lewis & Holt failed in November, 1833, and Mr. Parker had 
the whole field to himself, and vigorously improved the opportunity. The same year he 
associated with him Edmund Parker, his brother, and Heman White, taking the firm name 
of Parker & White. Thej' were doing a successful business in Alabama when the hard 
times of 1837 came upon the country, and the concern lost heavily, an embarrassment from 
which the)- did not recover for about six years. They were often advised to fail, but they 
decided otherwise, and finally paid their entire indebtedness in full. This partnership was 
dissolved in 1843, and Mr. Parker continued alone. 

His business steadily increased, and in 1844 he added largely to his buildings, and put 
in steam power to take the place of the primitive horse power previously used. Mr. Parker 
was the first to manufacture plated spoons and forks and to plate hollow ware in Meriden. 
From time to time he added to the range of his products, until at length he was represented 
in the market by a great variety of goods. Intuitively he seemed to decide on the articles 
which would prove salable, and his judgment never erred. The value of a good name has 
been .splendidly exemplified in Mr. Parker's experience. It was not long after he began 
business that he found the reputation which preceded him aided him materially in extending 
his sales, and new avenues were constantly being opened up in ever}- market in the land. 






>/L 



yy ? //^o 



OF CONNECTICUT, i86r-i8ij4. 85 

Besides his factory at Meriden Center, at one time he carried on shops at East and West 
Meriden, Yalesville and Prattsville. More room was needed, and again and again he was 
called npon to enlarge his facilities, until the present extensive works have been the outcome. 

Until 1877 Mr. Parker carried on the entire business alone, and his hand was kept on 
everj- detail of manufacturing. Finding the cares of the great establishment too heavy for 
his advancing years, and desiring to perpetuate the business he founded, he formed the 
present corporation of the Charles Parker Company. The capital is $500,000, and the officers 
are Charles Parker, president; Charles E. Parker, vice-president; Dexter W. Parker, trea.snrer, 
and W. H. Lyon, secretary. Though interested in all the business projects as ever, Mr. 
Parker leaves the active management to his associates, who through long years of connection 
with him ha\e become as familiar with the conduct of affairs as he is himself. The bare 
enumeration of the list of articles made by this firm would make a small pamphlet. The 
coffee mills which he began to make more than sixty years ago are still manufactured, 
though they are vastly improved, and are of all sizes and many designs. To .succeed in the 
face of strong competition is one of the best tests of true success. The United States 
government was looking for the lamp best adapted for use in the army, and from a mass 
of specimens, the "Parker" lamp was .selected. This order was filled, and again the 
authorities called for bids for another supply of lamps modelled after the "Parker," and 
again the Charles Parker Company came off victorious. Their trade is constantly increasing 
all over the known world. Even now, it extends to South America, Europe, Australia, 
the West Indies and other remote points. Wherever the Parker goods are introduced they 
at once obtain an exclusive foothold. It is the oldest industry in the city, and not only in 
Meriden, but with the entire trade, ranks with the very highest. 

The gun department, which is carried on under the name of Parker Bros, for the 
purpose of distinguishing it from other branches of their extensive business, was organized 
during the rebellion of 1861-65, for the purpose of supplying arms for the Union army, and 
was successfully conducted on those lines until the close of that memorable struggle. After 
the close of the war the Parker company found themselves in possession of a large amount 
of machinery and stock adapted to the manufacture of guns, and at first devoted themselves 
to producing rifles for general use. Soon after they decided to undertake the manufacture 
of shotguns and took out their first patent in 1866, covering a combination for locking the 
barrels. New patents covering different devices were added soon after, one in 1S72, covering 
the check-stop in opening barrels, and other important inventions were added in 1876, 
1877, 1878 and 1879. In 1887 they patented their well-known hammerless action as now 
made, and added two other patented improvements in 18S9. 

Their gun plant as it now e.xists covers about two acres of ground and gives regular 
employment, when in full operation, to two hundred men. The works embrace a variety 
of departments adapted to the manufacture of the gun from the very beginning until its 
arrival at a state of completion. An extensive blacksmith and forging department is in 
active operation in a separate building, where all parts of the gun are forged. The other 
departments consist of a milling-room, barrel-turning and boring-room, engraving-room, 
stock-making room, and one for making special machinery adapted to the manufacture of the 
different parts of the Parker gun. P-le\en different frames for the various sizes, weights 
and qualities of guns are made in the factory, constituting a greater variety than that embraced 
in the works of any other company in this country. The principal points of excellence in 
the Parker gun are its simplicity of construction, its great wearing powers, and its superior 
.shooting qualities, which points have placed it in the first rank for execution with the best 
guns in the world, and won for it the appropriate soubriquet of the "old reliable Parker." 



86 REPRESENTATIVE MEX 

When ]\Ieriden took her place in the sisterhood of Connecticut municipalities, it was but 
natural that the citizens should turn to their representative business man and seat him in the 
mayor's chair. Mr. Parker served as the head of the city government for the years 1867 
and 1868, and, as numerous precedents were to be established and many questions settled 
which would never occur again, it gave him an opportunity for the display of that careful 
judgment and executive ability for which he is noted. ]Mr. Parker's sympathies were heartily 
enlisted in the war for the preservation of the American Union. To this work he gave not 
only of his time and talents, but also of his means. 

At the age of thirty-one, Mr. Parker experienced a change of heart, and thenceforward 
dedicated himself to the service of his IMaker. Two years later he became a member of the 
Methodist church, and has since rendered invaluable assistance to that religious organization 
in ]\Ieriden and elsewhere. To the IMethodist church on Broad street he not only gave the 
lot, but al.so gave three-quarters of what the building cost. His brother John and he together 
contributed nearly $50,000 toward the erection of the present Methodist church. 

His success has not been of an ephemeral character built on a speculative foundation. 
His pecuniary prosperity has been attained by strict economy and a close application to busi- 
ness. Laboring men who are striking to-day for nine or even eight hours, would not feel 
like putting in fifteen hours per da}-, as Mr. Parker has often done. In the rush of business 
management, time could not be foTind for correspondence, and that kind of work has been 
relegated to the hours of the evening week after week. Most men wish to succeed, to have 
the emoluments of place or wealth which success brings in its train, but they are not always 
willing to pay the price. Mr. Parker was not one of these. He realized that good fortune 
was synonymous with hard work, and he never spared himself in the attainment of his 
objects. Starting with the possession of rare good sense, the height he has reached has been 
gained by great industry, careful methods in businsss, and punctuality in the keeping of 
engagements. His liberality has been of the most unostentatious kind, and whenever he has 
conferred a favor, he has endeavored to conceal the fact from public knowledge. In the 
three-score years which have elapsed since he commenced manufacturing in such an humble 
way, he has lived to see the business then started grow to its present immense proportions, 
and the village of Meriden gradually de\elop into one of the fairest cities in the state of 
Connecticut. Honored and loved most by those who know him best, it is to be hoped that 
he will be spared to see what the opening of the twentieth century will bring forth. 

Charles Parker was married Oct. 6, 1831, to Abi, daughter of Thomas Eddy of Berlin. 
Of their ten children, three are now living : Charles E. Parker, now vice-president of the 
Charles Parker Company; De.xter Wright Parker, who graduated from West Point in 1870, 
and now treasurer of the same company, and Annie Dryden, wife of W. H. Lyon, the 
efficient secretarj- of the corporation. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 87 

;AINWRIGHT, WIIXIAM Augustus MUHLEXBERG, M. D., of Hartford, 
was born in New York City, Au.s^. 13, 1844. 

On botli sides of the family line Dr. Wainwright conies of a stnrdy English 
stock. Peter Wainwright, an English merchant, settled in Boston not long 
after the Revolutionary War. Here he married Elizabeth, daughter of Jonathan 
Ma\hew, D. D., a Congregational minister. Dr. ]\Iayhew was a descendant of Thomas Mayhew, 
one of the early settlers of the country, and the first governor of Martha's Vineyard. Soon 
after his marriage, Peter Wainwright returned to Liverpool, and it was there that his three 
children were born ; but in 1803 he again took up his abode in America. Jonathan Mayhew, 
his oldest son, was born Feb. 24, 1792, and graduated from Harvard University in 1812. 
Teaching occupied his time for several years, then he decided to devote his life to the 
work of the sacred ministry, and after taking a course of theological studies was admitted to 
the order of priesthood of the Episcopal church in Christ Church, Hartford, Conn., Aug. 16, 
1817. Limited space will prevent any mention of the invaluable work he did in the service 
of his Master, and how he managed to compress all that he did into the hours of his busy life 
is a standing marvel. His literary labors were numerous and varied, an especially important 
piece of work being as chief working member of the committee of the general convention to 
prepare the standard edition of the Book of Common Prayer. After having been rector of 
several large city parishes, in 1852 he was chosen provisional bishop of the diocese of New 
York. He threw himself heartily into the responsibility laid upon him ; but the burden was 
too great, and he broke beneath the strain and died in New York City, Sept. 21, 1854. Bishop 
Wainwright was married in August, 1818, to Amelia Maria, grand-daughter of Judge John 
Phelps of Stafford, Conn. Fourteen children were born to them, and of these the subject 
of this sketch is youngest. 

Dr. Wainwright I'eceived his name from Rl\-. William Augustus Muhlenberg, the founder 
of St. Luke's Hospital, New York City. His earlier education was secured at a private 
school, and, entering Trinity College in i860, was graduated from that institution in 1S64. 
The desire to be a physician seems to have been engrafted into his being from his youth, and 
soon after leaving college he commenced the study of medicine in New York City under the 
tuition of Doctors Alexander Hosack and Henry B. Sands. He took the regular course at 
the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. Successfully passing his examination in 
December, 1866, he at once went into the New York Hospital. From !March to December, 
1865, Dr. Wainwright was "interne" at the Hartford Hospital. He was awarded his diploma 
in the spring of 1867, and, after passing two years' service in the old New York Hospital, 
came to Hartford, where he has since made his home. In 1890 he was elected a member 
of the board of medical visitors to the Retreat for the In.sane in Hartford. 

In 1872, Dr. Wainwright was elected an attending phy.sician and surgeon of the Hartford 
Hospital. When the change took place and the division of the work assigned was effected, 
he was appointed one of the visiting surgeons, which position he still holds. 

He was appointed assistant surgeon of the first company of the Governor's F^oot Guards, 
then under the command of Major John C. Kinney, and held office for the space of ten years. 
He is now medical supervisor for the State Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company of New 
Jersey, the Union Mutual Company of Maine, and the United States Life Insurance Company 
of New York, and is also one of the medical examiners of these companies and of the Mutual 
Life Company of New York. Of the Charter Oak Life Company he was medical examiner, 
and, after the death of Dr. Jackson, was made medical director, and filled that position until 
the company went into insolvency. He is a member of the American Medical Association, 



88 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 

and is also a member of the State Medical Society. For several years he was clerk of the 
Hartford County Medical Society, that being the only oflficer whose duties continued from year 
to year. He was president of the society in the one hundredth year of its existence, and 
during all the tests of the Centennial celebration was fully equal to the requirements of the 
occasion. Dr. Wainwright is a forceful and pleasant speaker, and a few paragraphs are quoted 
from his address : 

Looking back into the past, it seems a blessed thing to have been born and to live in the nineteenth 
century. Life is a very different thing to-daj' from what it was a hundred — na}-, fifty years ago. It almost 
takes one's breath away to stop and think of the immense strides that have been taken since our century 
began, in the advancement of all things that go to make up the civilization of to-day. Only to begin to 
enumerate the most important of them would take much more time than has been allotted to me. 

To the lasting honor of the medical profession, it can be said with the utmost truth, that in no branch 
of an\' art or science has the advancement been greater than in our own ; and to no one class of men is the 
world more indebted to-day than it is to noble and honored members of our craft. To name them all would 
be to fill a volume ; but to prove that the pride which is in us is not false in character, I have but to mention 
the names of Bichat, Broussais, Laeunec, Louis, Trousseau, Hunter. S\-denham, Cullen, Jenner, Bright, Cooper, 
Skoda, Rokitansky, Virchow, Pasteur, Koch, Rush, Warren, Mitchell, Bard, Physick, Hosack, Dewees, Sims, 
Nathan Smith, Mott, Van Buren, Gross, McDowell, Kimball, Atlee, Knight, Wells, Simpson ; and a name 
which is almost unheard, if not entireh" unknown to most of us, but one which ought to go down to posterity 
with the rest — Dr. Carl Koller of New York, who, when a medical student iu Vienna, discovered the 
anaesthetic properties of cocaine. 

When it is taken into consideration that whatever has been done in our ranks during the last century 
has been done for the good of the human race, to relieve its sufferings, to give it life and health and strength, 
and under God to increase the number of its days, we may, I think, be pardoned for the honest pride we have 
in meeting here to celebrate the end of our fir,st hundred years' work, and to do honor to those of us who 
have passed on before. 

It is not only "the evil that men do that lives after them:" it is the good that they have done that 
"makes the whole world kin," that keeps their memories ever green, and that makes us love to talk and 
think of their noble lives, and their unselfish deeds, which have made life a hundred times more worth living 
to-day than it was a hundred years ago. 

As a member and one of the vestr^-meu of St. John's Church, Hartford, Dr. Wainwright 
takes a zealous interest in everj-thing which pertains to the welfare of the Protestant Episcopal 
church. He has been several times a delegate to the State Diocesan Convention, and twice 
he has been sent to the General Convention of the church — at New York iu 1889, and at 
Baltimore in 1890. At the first dinner and annual meeting of the Church Club of the 
diocese of Connecticut in January, 1893, he was chosen president of the club, and to be 
made the head of such an organization may be taken as a marked compliment. In 1865 he 
was initiated into the mysteries of masonry in Holland Lodge, No. 8, of New York Citv, and 
on coming to Hartford became a member of St. John's Lodge. He is also an active member 
of the Connecticut chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and a member of its 
board of managers. 

Besides being in demand as a speaker on special occasions. Dr. Wainwright wields a 
facile pen. He wrote the medical history chapter for the "Memorial History- " of Hartford 
County, one of the most carefully prepared volumes of the kind ever issued. He has reported 
several cases and read various papers before the State Society, which have always been listened 
to with interest. At the centennial anniversary of the Connecticut jMedical Society, his paper 
was upon " Medico- Legal Aspects of Chloroform." It was a consideration of a surgeon's 
accountability when his patient dies from the administration of chlorofonn for the purposes of 
an operation. After stating the law in regard to injury to person, the doctor said : 

My own belief is that chloroform is just as safe a drug to use as opium, strychnine or hydrocyanic acid, 
and that we are perfectU- justified in using it. I believe that in many cases it is a safer drug to use than 
ether. An infinitely greater number of our patients die from the effects of our surgical operations than die 
from the effects of the anaesthetic which is given to make the operation possible ; and one might as well saj' 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-/894. 89 

that wc shoiiUl lical our scalpels into ploujihshares and our lichotrites into pruning-hooks, because once in a 
while a life is lost by means of them. I would never willingly tell a patient that any surgical operation was 
absolutely safe, or that the administration of either chloroform or ether was absolutelj- safe; but I should no 
more hesitate to give chloroform in the one case than I should hesitate to perform the operation in the 
other. At the same time, as the patient or the patient's friends should share with the surgeon the 
responsibility of the operation, so should they share with him the danger of the an:esthetic. And in those 
cases where it seems best to the surgeon, if the patient is willing to take the risk of the more dangerous, 
but in a number of cases the more agreeable an:esthetic. the surgeon is, in my judgment, perfectly justified 
in using it; and does thereby exercise the "ordinary diligence, care and skill" that the law calls upon him 
to use; and he should not be held accountable to law, either human or divine, if the dreadful calamity falls 
to his lot of sending a human soul to its creator. 

Still on the inside of the half century mark of life, Dr. Wainwright occupies an enviable 
position amid the physicians of Hartford, as well as of the state at large. Without devoting 
himself to any special field in his profession, he has gained a reputation which many a man 
with a score of years more on his .shoulders might be prond to possess. 

He was married Jan. 14, 1869, to Helena Barker, daughter of the late Thomas Grosvenor 
Talcott of Hartford. Of their eleven children four are now living, tw'o sons and two daughters. 




BENEDICT, EUAS CORNELIUS, of Greenwich, senior member of the banking 
firm of E. C. Benedict & Co., New York, was born in Somers, Westchester 
County, New York, Jan. 24, 1834. 

The name Benedict is derived from the Latin bcucdicius, "blessed, well- 
spoken of." Though unknown as a proper name in the Latin tongue, it is 
common as such in those languages of modern Europe which are offshoots from the Latin, 
or are, from the prevalence of the Romish religion, sprinkled with Roman derivatives. Bene- 
dict in English and German becomes Benedek in Austrian, Benedetto in Italian, Bendito in 
in Spanish and Portuguese, Benoit in French, besides various other fonns. It undoubtedly 
became a proper name from the ancient custom of adding to or substituting for a family 
name some striking individual characteristic or the name of some patron saint. 

Among those Englishmen who went into voluntary- exile rather than endure the cruelties 
and oppressions of the Stuarts in the state and lands of the church was Thomas Benedict 
of Nottinghamshire. There is reason to suppose that his own remote ancestor had made 
England his refuge from religions persecution on the Continent. He emigrated to New 
England in 1638, and soon afterwards married Mary Bridguni, who came over in the same 
ship. They resided for a time in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and then moved to the 
valley of the Connecticut, from which they later transferred their home to Southhold, on Long 
Island, where their nine children were born. Sometime before 1670 he again made his home 
in Connecticut, both political and religious reasons accounting for the change, and settled 
in Norwalk. Mr. Benedict must have been a welcome addition to the society of Norwalk, 
as he was at once elevated to official station, nor was it a spasmodic appreciation of his 
sterling qualities, as the following list will bear abundant testimony : He was town clerk at 
different times for a period of nearly ten years ; the records are still preserved in his own 
handwriting, and are legible and properly attested by his own signature. His term of 
service as selectman covers seventeen years, closing with 168S. In 1670 and again in 1675 
he was the representative of Norwalk to the General Assembly. Always zealously affected 
in religious matters, he was chosen deacon of the church soon after his arrival in Norwalk, 
and held that important office during the rest of his life. Besides the service of these more 



go REPRESENTATIVE MEX 

conspicuous ai)pointments, he rendered much vahiable assistance to his friends in a non- 
official and neighborl}' way. His good sense and general intelligence, some scientific knowl- 
edge and his skill as a penman, made him their recourse when papers were to be drafted, 
lands to be surveyed and apportioned or disputes to be arbitrated. 

From Thomas Bentley, the emigrant, the family line comes down through the second 
son John. He was a freeman of Norsvalk in 1680 and succeeded his father as selectman in 
1689, and filled that office again from 1692 to 1694, and also in 1699. He was occupied 
chiefly, however, with church affairs, having become deacon probably on the death of his 
father. Thenceforth the records show him to have been constantly on committees having 
charge of the religious and educational interests of the community, now " obtaining a 
minister," then " hyering a schoolmaster." In 1705 the church honored him by voting him 
a sitting " in ye seat before ye pulpit." He ser\'ed as representative in the General Assembly 
in the sessions of 1722 and 1725. Then follows a second John, who was also prominent as 
a selectman and in other town offices, and was deacon for many years. His fourth son was 
Nathaniel. Like those who had preceded him, he was a man of mark and filled numerous 
official positions in the town and state. It was said of him at the time of his death that 
"He has left ninety-one grandchildren and eighty-eight great-grandchildren, the whole 
number of his descendants now living being 191. For about thirty -two years he sustained 
the office of deacon of the First Congregational church in that town. Deacon Benedict was 
one of those venerable personages by whom what remains of the pious habits of our fore- 
fathers have been transmitted to the present generation. His long life has been eminently 
exemplary, and years to come will feel its happy influence. Every morning and evening 
witnessed his devotion. His Sabbaths were faithfully appropriated to public worship and 
religious family instructions. An amiable, cheerful disposition, a sound mind, improved by 
a degree of reading and much reflection, and adorned with a bright constellation of 
Christian graces, comprised his character." 

In the fifth generation came another John, and his son Henry was the father of the 
subject of this sketch. Henry Benedict is deserving of special mention. After graduating 
at Yale College, although for some years in feeble health, he determined to devote himself 
to the ministry of the gospel, and pursued a theological course under private instruction. 
Commencing his work at WaterbuTA", Conn., after preaching one year at Galwaj-, he was 
installed pastor of the Congregational church at Nqrwalk, in August, 1828, and contimred 
there for four years amid scenes of great religious interest and fruitfulness. Impaired health 
compelled him to resign his church and visit the South. In October, 1833, Rev. "Sir. Benedict 
accepted a call to Lansingburg, New York, and remained there two years. After which, 
declining permanent engagements, he preached in Covington, Ky., in Stillwater, and in 
New York City. Leaving New York he was settled over the Congregational church at 
Westport, Conn., for twelve years. Resigning this church, he spent the year 1852 in 
Europe, and on his return accepted a call to Portchester, where he continued until 1863, 
when advancing years induced him to lay aside his duties as pastor. He married Mary 
Betts, daughter of Captain Stephen Lockwood of Norwalk, Conn., Sept. i, 1823. Seven 
children were born to them, of whom Elias C. was the fourth. Mr. Benedict died at Saratoga 
Springs, July 18, 1868. 

A private institution at Westport, Conn., and a public school of Buffalo, N. Y., ga\e 
young Benedict all the scholastic education he received, but in the wider school of experience 
he has gained a fund of knowledge not to be secured in the great uni\-ersities. Just after 
entering his sixteenth }ear he went into the banking office of Corning &: Company, New York, 
as dark. Wisely improving all his opportunities for learning the intricacies of financial 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 91 

affairs, in October, 1857, he entci-ed the mercantile world on his own account as Benedict 
& Company, his office bein"; at 63 Wall street. Fourteen years later, October 9th, the very 
day of the disastrous fire in Chicago, he fonned a partnership with Roswell P. Flower, now 
governor of New York. This connection lasted until 1875, when the present firm of E. C. 
Benedict S: Company was organized, and the name has remained unchanged. 

During the latter part of the war and the years which followed, when gold was a 
marketable commodit\-, the daih- sales at times were simply enormous. The necessity of a 
clearing house for these increasing amounts was readily apparent. To meet this pressing 
need, Mr. Benedict with others organized the Gold E.xchange Bank, and his brother, Henry 
^I. Benedict, was chosen president. At the time of the famous " Black Friday," when Jay 
Gould and those associated with him tried to corner all the gold in the country, the bank 
demonstrated its great efficiency, and it lived till the year before the resumption of specie 
pavments, when the need for its existence had passed aw'ay. Mr. Benedict was president 
of the bank for the last few years of its life, and during the whole of its career was an 
active .spirit in its management. 

The trend of Mr. Benedict's mind runs largely to the promotion and development of 
extensive enterprises. He has made successful the placing of the securities of the gas com- 
panies of New York, Baltimore, Troy, Indianapolis, Chicago, Albany, and Brooklyn. In 
all the companies he is a managing director, and his influence is felt everywhere along the 
lines which lead to financial success. 

Since 1863 Mr. Benedict has been a member of the New York Stock Exchange, and, 
out of the 1 100 members at the present time, only thirty can date their connection to an 
earlier period. Though always honored by his associates for probity of character, not hav- 
ing the slightest desire for official station, he has never been prominent in the management 
of the Exchange. 

For over two score years Mr. Benedict has been a resident of the pleasant town of 
Greenwich, Conn., although he has made his home in Connecticut almost continuously since 
1840. On one occasion, while he was on a trip to California, and entirely without his 
knowledge, he was unanimously elected warden of the town. On his return, he found the 
financial affairs of the town in a decidedly tangled condition, and bringing his experience 
to bear he brought order out of the seeming chaos, and having performed this valuable 
ser\ice for his fellow townsmen, he declined emphatically a subsequent election. This one 
year covers Mr. Benedict's whole experience as an office holder. His name was prominently 
brought forward as the Democratic candidate for governor of Connecticut in 1882, but 
while acknowledging the high compliment implied, he declined to allow his name to be 
used in that connection. 

Mr. Benedict has been extremely fortunate in the friendships he has formed. He was 
the close friend of p^dwin Booth, and it was on board of his yacht during a cruise in 18S7 
with Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Lawrence Barrett and others, that Mr. Booth brought out the 
philanthropic plan for assisting his fellow actors which resulted in the formation of the club 
called " The Players." Joseph Jefferson can also be classed among his intimate acquaint- 
ances, and with President Grover Cleveland his relations have been of even a closer nature 
than with either of the gentlemen named. One must live his life on a high plane to be 
on friendly tenns with such choice spirits as these, but they are only examples of his 
associates, and the connection simply reveals a higher phase of his character. 

Oct. 6, 1859, Elias C. Benedict was married to Sarah, daughter of Lucius Hart of New 
\ork. Four children have been born to them — Frederick Hart, who is associated with his 
father in business, Martha, now Mrs. Ramsay Turnbull, Helen Ripley and Louise Vdele. 



92 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 



^;pAVIS, CHARLES HEXRY STANLEY, was born in Goshen, Conn., March 2, 
4^'% \1 1840. He is the seventh in lineal descent from Dolor Davis, one of the original 
^>$^ I: settlers of Barnstable, INIass., in 1634. His father, Dr. Timothy Fisher Davis, 
'^^^J'A was a practitioner of medicine in Litchfield, Plymouth and Meriden, removing 

to the latter place in 1849, and where he died in 1870. 
The early education of the subject of this sketch was obtained in the public schools of 
Meriden, where he was prepared for college, and under a private tutor pursued the studies of 
the fi'eshman and sophomore classes, and was prepared to enter the junior class when his plans 
were broken up, and he went to New York to live. Always having a predilection towards the 
study of medicine, he entered the office of Dr. William Baker of New York, and soon after 
matriculated in the medical department of the New York University, pursuing the full course. 
After receiving his diploma he .pursued a post-graduate course and received a certificate of 
honor, signed by Drs. ^'alentine Mott, John W. Draver, Alfred Post and the rest of the 
faculty, in testimony of having passed one of the best examinations. After taking a course 
in the medical department of the University of Maryland, and a special course at the Har\-ard 
Medical school, he returned to ]\Ieriden and succeeded his father in the practice of his pro- 
fession. After five years .he went abroad for travel and study, and, after visiting Germany, 
Italy, Switzerland, Scotland and Ireland, he followed for several months the practice in the 
hospitals of London and Paris. Upon his return to Meriden, he very soon built up a large 
and lucrative practice, extending to the surrounding towns. 

Dr. Davis was one of the founders of the Meriden City Medical Society, and was its 
secretar}- for several years. He became a member also of the New Haven County Medical 
Societ}- and the Connecticut State Medical Society. In 1887, the late Lemuel J. Curtis 
donated some $300,000 for a Home for Old Ladies and Orphan Children, and Dr. Davis was 
appointed attending physician, and he has had the medical charge of the Home ever since. 
He has been a large contributor to the medical press. Among fifty or more articles con- 
tributed to medical journals and enumerated in the catalogue of the library of the surgeon- 
general at Washington, are "Report of one hundred and thirty cases of Diphtheria;" 
" Five cases of Puerperal Eclampsia; " " Hereditarj- Influence;" "Morbus Coxarius, Report 
of two cases ; " " Marriages of Consanguinity ; " " Clergymen's Sore Throat ; " " Infirmities 
of Genius;" "Genius vs. Eccentricity and Insanity;" "Is Consumption contagious? " etc. 
He has attended at the birth of some six hundred children, but owing to his many duties 
he has been obliged to give up obstetric practice. Dr. Davis is examining physician for the 
Pennsylvania Mutual Life Insurance Company, the New York Life, United States Life, Mas- 
sachusetts IMutual, Equitable, New Jersey Mutual, Knights of Honor, Chosen Friends, New 
England Order of Protection, Golden Circle, A. O. U. W. and O. U. A. M., and during the past 
twent)-five years he has examined over one thousand applicants. 

While greatly in love with his profession, which for many years has occupied his time 
from twelve to fourteen hours a day. Dr. Davis has found time to take up other pursuits which 
have been a source of pleasure and rela.xation from the severe duties of his profession. 
When Mr. Davis first went to New York, he entered into partnership with Mr. Charles H. 
Thomas, a well-known philologist and translator, and opened a book-store for the sale of works 
particularly in the Oriental and classical languages, they being at that time the only firm 
making a specialty of philological works. Their store was also the headquarters for the sale 
of the works of Thomas Lake Harris, and other New Church writers. In a back room in 
this store the American Philological Society was organized, with Re\-. Dr. Nathan Brown 
(formerly missionary to Assam, and who translated the Bible into Assamese, and afterwards 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 93 

missionan- to Japan) as president, Rev. William U. Scott (afterwards missionan.- to Hnrniah) 
as \ice-president, and Dr. Davis as corresponding secretary. Dr. Davis at this time, under 
Dr. Brown, took np the study of Hebrew and Syriac, which in after years he followed with 
Arabic, Assyrian, Ancient Egyptian, as well as the modern languages. He began at this 
time to fonn a library which at the present time contains some si.x thousand volumes. 

At sixteen Dr. Davis began to contribute to the press. In his eighteenth year he con- 
tributed a column article every week for a year to the Neza York Chronicle. At this time he 
began to gather material for a history of Wallingford and Meriden ; and in 1870 he published 
this history, containing nearly one thousand pages, and tracing out some sixty genealogies of 
the early settlers. It is one of the largest and most complete of the New England local 
histories. Two thousand copies were printed, and every copy was sold. For four years 
Dr. Davis edited for the .■bnericaii Bookseller, the "Index to Periodical Literature," carefully 
indexing each month, under appropriate heads, the contents of some one hundred and thirty 
American and foreign periodicals. 

While following the practice of Morrcll Mackenzie in London, and Fournier in Paris, 
Dr. Davis became uuich interested in the study of the throat, and the result was a work on 
"The Voice as a Musical Instrument," which was published by Oliver Ditson & Company, 
and has had a very large sale. Dr. Davis has been greatly interested in the education and 
management of backward and feeble-minded children. While abroad he visited the Institute 
des Enfants .\rrieres at Gentilly, near Paris, the Scottish National Institution for Imbeciles 
at Larbert, Sterlingshire, Scotland, the Royal All)ert Asylum at Lanca.ster, and other like 
institutions. He has written largely for the press on the subject, and several of his articles 
were translated into Spanish and were published in El Rcportorio Medico. Some of these 
articles were incorporated in a work entitled "On the Classification, Training and Education 
of the Feeble Minded, Imbecile and Idiotic." It is Dr. Davis's purpose to enlarge this work 
and publish another edition, as there has been a large demand for it. 

One of the founders of the ^leriden Scientific Association, Dr. Davis has for twelve vears 
been the secretary and director of the depai'tnient of ethnolog}- and archaeology, and has 
edited the four volumes of its transactions. To these volumes he has contributed articles on 
the " Cycocarpus Gracilis ; " " The Discovery of America before Columbus ; " "A List of the 
Forest Trees and Shrubs found growing in Meriden," etc., and has read numerous papers on 
scientific subjects before the association. As the association exchanges with some four hun- 
dred home and foreign scientific societies, the duties of secretary.- have been no sinecure, and 
he has personally attended to all of the exchanges and correspondence, beside attending to 
his own correspondence, which averages from twenty-five to fift>- letters a week. 

For many years Dr. Davis has been interested in Oriental philology and archaeology. In 
1S88, he published the first number of Biblia, a monthly journal devoted to Oriental research 
in arclueology, epigraph)-, ethnology, geography, histor\-, languages, literature, religion, etc. 
It is also the organ of the Eg>pt and Palestine Exploration Pounds. This journal has a large 
circulation in this country, and has sub.scribers in Great Britain, France, Gennan\-, India, 
Japan, Egypt, Syria and New Zealand; also in the Hawaiian Islands. Dr. Davis has edited 
this journal for six years and has been a large contributor to its pages. In the first volume he 
published the Hebrew text of Genesis, for which he made a literal, interlinear translation. 
In connection with Rev. Dr. Camden M. Cobeen of Ann Arbor, Mich., Dr. Davis has written 
" .\ History- of .Vncient Egypt in the Light of Modern Discoveries," with an introduction bv 
Rev. William C. Winslow, D. D., LL. D. This magnificent work, the finest ever published 
on the subject by jirivate enterprise, is a large folio of some four hundred pages, and with one 
thousand illustrations. Nearly the whole of the first edition was subscribed for at twelve 

13 



94 REPRESENTATH-E MEN 

dollars before the work went to press. In 1894, Dr. Davis pnblished an edition of the Ancient 
Egyptian " Book of the Dead." This nnique work reprodnces the sevent}'-nine plates of the 
Great Tnrin Papyrus, and the twenty plates of the Louvre Pap\Tus, with a complete translation 
of the 167 chapters. To this work Dr. Davis contributed an introduction, and chapters on " The 
Religious Reliefs of Primitive Peoples," " The Religion of Ancient Egypt," " Animal Worship 
in Ancient Eg>'pt," "The Egyptian Pantheon," and "The Symbolism of the Book of the 
Dead." Dr. Davis also autographed for this work M. Lieblin's valuable Index Alpliahctiqite, 
which was photo-engraved. He has nearh- completed a work entitled " The Pharaohs and 
their Times, or Eg^'pt in her Magnificence and Grandeur," giving an account of the land and 
the people ; the tombs, temples and palaces ; the manner and customs, arts and sciences, par- 
ticularlv during the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first dynasties, when Egypt had arrived 
at the height of her magnificence and prosperity. 

For a number of years Dr. Davis has been engaged in his inagnuni opus, an Egj'ptian- 
English and English-Egyptian Dictionary, which will contain some 12,000 definitions. 

Notwithstanding his many duties, Dr. Davis keeps abreast with the times in all depart- 
ments of literature, receiving every month some fifty periodicals from France, German}-, Great 
Britain and this countr\', devoted to science, medicine, literature and art. He is one of the 
honorary secretaries of the Egypt Exploration Fund, and was one of the advisory council 
of the World's Fair Auxiliary, in the department of philology and Egyptology. To this 
department he contributed a lengthy paper on the religion of Ancient Egypt. 

While not practically interested in politics except in the interest of good government. 
Dr. Davis was elected to represent ]\Ieriden in the General Assembly of 1873, and was the 
first Democratic representative that Aleriden had sent in twenty years. At this session he 
served as chairman of the committee on education. He was elected again in 1885, and served 
as clerk of the same committee, and was sent a third time in 1S86, when he served on com- 
mittees on insurance and on constitutional amendment. In 1885, he was nominated for judge 
of probate for the Meriden district, but declined. In 18S6, he received the nomination for 
state senator for the sixth senatorial district, but lost his election by thirt},--two votes, although 
in Meriden he ran two hundred ahead of the opposing candidate. In 18S6, he was elected 
mavor of the citv by a large majority, the first Democratic mayor since the city was incor- 
porated, in 1867. One of the local papers said: " His inaugural address showed that he was 
no novice in municipal government, and his administration has been characterized by ability, 
fidelitv and impartiality." In 1887, he was reelected mayor, and although nominated again in 
1888, he declined the nomination, as he considered that he had devoted sufficient time to 
municipal affairs. During his administration he called a public meeting to organize a Board 
of Trade, and was unanimously elected the president of the board. He also, in connection 
with Messrs. Webb and Burgess, organized three building and loan associations, and was presi- 
dent of the first two and a trustee of the third. To assist and build up these associations, 
Dr. Davis edited and published for a year a monthly journal of sixteen quarto pages devoted to 
building and loan societies, writing nearly all of the contents of each number. After nearly 
one thousand members had been obtained for the associations, the journal ceased publication, 
as it had accomplished its object. 

In 1872, Dr. Davis was elected a member of the Meriden school board and has served 
in that capacity for twenty-two years. For five years he was the acting school visitor, visiting 
some sixty schools twice every three months. For a number of years he has been chairman 
of the board. His annual reports showed a thorough knowledge of educational methods. 
When the high school was organized in 1882, Dr. Davis was elected a member of the com- 
mittee and has held the position since and is chairman of the committee. In 1889, he delivered 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1 861-1894. 95 

a course of twelve afternoon lectures before the senior class, gi\ing a critical and analytical 
history of English literature from Chaucer to the present day. The lectures proved so inter- 
esting that they were attended by an audience of over three hundred ladies, several of the local 
clergs- and others. Dr. Davis also delivered other afternoon lectures at the high school on 
"Troubadours and Their Times," "Scandinavian Literature," and "The Influence of 
French and Italian Literature on early English Literature." 

In 1S91, the Legislature appointed Dr. Davis a trustee of the vState Reform School, now 
the Connecticut School for Boys. He is secretary of the board and on its most important 
committees. In 1893, seeing the necessity of a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. 
Dr. Davis prepared a petition which he caused to be circulated, and in two weeks some one 
hundred and forty names were signed, and the Meriden Humane Society was organized and 
afterwards incoqwrated. With the exception of the prosecuting officer the society is officered 
entirely by women. 

Dr. Davis is fond of society and greatly enjoys a game of chess. He has been for a 
number of years a member of the Home Club. He is al.so a member and corresponding 
member of some thirty societies, among which are the American Oriental Society, American 
Philological Society, Society of Biblical Archseology of London, Royal Archaeological In.stitute 
of Great Britain and Ireland, Associate of the Victoria Institute and Philosophical Society 
of Great Britain, International Society of Orientalists, Societe d'Anthropologie of Paris, 
American Association for the Advancement of Science," etc., including also some ten historical 
societies. 

For twenty-five years Dr. Davis has been a member of the ^lasonic order, having taken 
the degrees in chapter, council and connnandery of the York rite, including the Knights of 
Malta; and in the Scottish rite, the Lodge of Perfection ; Council of the Princes of Jerusalem ; 
Chapter of Rose Croix, H. R. D. M. ; and Consistory of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret ; 
in all, thirty-two degrees above the Knights Templars. He is also a noble of the Mvstic 
Shrine. Besides being a member for twenty-five years of the Odd Fellows, he is a member 
of the Encampment, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Ancient Order of Foresters, 
Ancient Order of Shepherds, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Honor, Royal Arcaiuim, Order of 
Chosen Friends, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Past Warden of the New England Order 
of Protection, and is a member of numerous other benevolent and protective associations. 



^ULKELP^Y, WILLIAM HENRY, e.x-lieutenant govenior of Connecticut, and 
J president of the Kellogg & Bnlkeley Company, was born in East Haddam, 
■^ ' -^^ \ Conn., March 2, 1840. 

."" ly /l The genealogj- of the Bnlkeley famih- can be traced back in direct line 

to Robert Bnlkeley, Esq., one of the English barons in the time of King John, 
in the thirteenth century. The name was originally spelled Buclough, and manv of the 
title took a prominent part in the early histor>- of Great Britain. From Baron Robert, in 
the tenth generation, the Rev. Peter Bnlkeley, born in Bedford.shire in 1583, was the first 
of the name to emigrate to this country. He settled in Massachusetts in 1634, and was a 
man of considerable mark, being the purchaser of land from the Indians, and the founder 
of the town of Concord, in which he built the first house and of which he became the first 
minister. His son, Rev. Gershom Bnlkeley, married a daughter of President Chauncey of 
Harvard College, and occupied no small place in the colonial days of Connecticut. He was 



96 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 

a many sided man, and e\-en in the nineteenth centun^ would have gained an excellent 
reputation for himself. Then followed Reverend John, almost equal to his father, who was 
the first minister of Colchester in this state. The second John in the family line was a 
judge, and is known in the annals of his time as the Honorable John. His son, John Charles 
Bulkeley, was the father of Eliphalet A. Bulkeley, a man of wide experience, who did much 
for the upbuilding of Hartford. One of the organizers of the company, he was chosen first 
president of the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, later he was elected president 
of the ^?Jtna Life Insurance Company and filled that position for twenty-two years, leaving 
the company at his death in 1872 on a solid and substantial basis. He married Lydia S., 
daughter of Avery jMorgan, and of the six children, William H. was the foiirth. 

When the subject of this sketch had reached the age of seven years, the family residence 
was transferred to Hartford, and he has since, with the exception of ten years, made that 
city his home. Young Bulkeley's education was obtained in the district and high schools 
of Hartford, those popular educators, T. W. T. Curtis and F. F. Barrows being his principal 
instructors. Leaving school before graduation, with an admirable record for application and 
scholarship, he entered the old and leading dry goods establishment of Thatcher, Goodrich 
& Stillman. After a short experience here, he sought for a place to broaden his knowledge 
of business affairs, and in ^larch, 1857 he went to Brooklyn, N. Y., and secured a position 
with H. P. Morgan & Company, who were engaged in the same line of trade. Deciding 
to enter mercantile life for himself, he opened a dry goods store on Fulton street, Brooklyn, 
in 1861. This was conducted successfully for six years and showed the possibilities of the 
future merchant. 

In 1867, Mr. Bulkeley returned to Hartford and has since been a resident of the capital 
city. He at once organized the Kellogg & Bulkeley Company, to carr},' on the lithographing 
business, and was chosen president of the company, an office which he has filled to the 
present time. 

For some time he served as vice-president of the ^5Jtna Life Insurance Company, of which 
his father was president for so many years, and of which his honored l)rother. Gov. Morgan 
G. Bulkeley, is now the head. He still retains a place on the board of directors. As director 
and other official, Mr. Bulkeley is connected with a number of banking, insurance and business 
corporations of Hartford. Among them are : The United States Bank, which he organized, 
the American National Bank, the Orient Fire Insurance Company and several of the 
manufacturing companies of the city and vicinit}-. 

His love for the intricacies of the dry goods business, gained by a dozen years' experience 
in early life was still strong, and in 1878 Mr. Bulkeley purchased the "Bee Hive," a famous 
Hartford establishment. For the past sixteen years this has been the chief secular object 
of his attention, and he has managed its numerous departments with exceptional success. 
The business tact and executive ability required to successfully conduct a large retail estab- 
lishment are similar to those which are demanded in the building up of a manufacturing 
industry, and he would have been equally prosperous in any department of business to which 
he chose to devote himself. In the spring of 1894, he disposed of his interest. 

Being one of the first to respond to the call for troops after the attack upon Fort 
Sumter, Mr. Bulkeley has a creditable war record. As a member of the Brooklyn City 
Guard, G Compau)-, Thirteenth Regiment, New York National Guards, he went to the front 
with his command April 19, 1861. The organization was in ser\-ice four months. In 1862 
he organized Company G of the Fifty-Sixth Regiment, New York National Guards, and was 
elected captain. Through the Pennsylvania crisis of 1863, he was in Gen. "Baldy" Smith's 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 97 

division, and with il passed through all the dant^c-rs of that canipaij^n. Diirinj^ the New 
York draft riots his regiment was ordered lionie, and the exigencies of the situation being 
ended, the regiment was disbanded, its term of service having expired. 

In municipal and state politics Mr. Bulkeley has been both honored and burdened 
with official positions. For fi\e years he was a member of the common council board of 
Hartford, ser\-ing one year as \ice-president and a similar term as president of that body. 
At the expiration of membership in the council his constituents still desired to retain him 
in their ser\-ice. He was made a member of the board of street commissioners, and by 
successive appointments filled that position for several years. Putting some of the same 
zeal and energy into the work which characterize his business relations, Mr. Bulkeley 
proved one of the most efficient members the board has e\er liad. During the administra- 
tion of Ciov. C. B. Andrews, he served as commissar^• general of the state of Connecticut. 
At the Republican state convention in the fall of 1880, his friends brought forward 
his name for the nomination as lieutenant-governor, and their choice was made unanimous. 
This selection received triumphant ratification at the polls, and General Bulkeley ser\-ed 
■with credit as the colleague of Gov. H. B. Bigelow during the >ears 1881-82. As the 
presiding officer of the Senate, he won and received the approval of that body, irrespective 
of ])artv affiliations, for his fairness in ruling and his uniform courtesy during the .sessions. 
When the Republican convention assembled in the fall of 1882, General Bulkeley's was 
the only name mentioned prominently for the nomination for gubernatorial honors, and he 
was placed at the head of the ticket by acclamation. The nomination made an exceedingly 
favorable impression on the state at large, and the campaign opened auspiciously. 

Speaking of General Bulkeley, the Hartford Post said: "Our candidate for governor is 
now .so well known throughout the .state, that there is no occasion for any extended 
biographical notice. General Bulkeley has made a model lieutenant-governor, and has 
gained in popularity every day since his election, two years ago. A clear headed man of 
business affairs, an enterprising citizen largely interested in matters affecting local and state 
prosperity, socially most agreeable and pleasant in manners, he possesses qualifications for 
the candidacy of an uncommon order." 

In an article on the same subject, the Nen' York Times had the following compli- 
mentan- allusion to the candidate: "As a prominent business man of Hartford, an able 
and honest political leader, a citizen of high grade, and thoroughly deserving the distinction 
he has attained. The popular principle that should govern promotions seems to have had 
weight with the convention, and the lieutenant-governor who has discharged his duties 
acceptably to his fellow citizens is likely to be the governor of Connecticut." 

The year 1S82 will be remembered as one which was decidedly unpropitious for 
Republican candidates. It was the year in which Grover Cleveland received his phenomenal 
majority of nearly 200,000 in New York, and General Butler was elected governor of 
Mas.sachusetts. On the face of the returns, Thomas M. Waller, General Bulkeley's 
Democratic competitor, had a majority of some 8,000 votes, but these included what were 
known as the "famous black ballots," cast in New Haven. The legality of the ballots 
was tested, and by the courts they were declared invalid in a plainly worded decision. The 
legislature was Republican in both branches, and after the verdict of the court had been 
pronmlgated, had any partisan action been taken, it will be readily seen that most un- 
pleasant complications would have ensued. General Bulkeley was equal to the occasion, 
and solved the Gordian knot of difficulty in a characteristic manner. In an open letter to 
the public, he renounced all possible claim to the governorship, and the letter was in 
ever)- way worthy of the man. 



98 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

Hartford, Dec. 30, 1882. 
Charles J. Cole, Chairman Republican State Committee, 

Dear Sir : My attention has been called to the various communications which have appeared in the 
public prints, relating to the "black ballots," so called; I desire to say for mj'self that under no circum- 
stances — no matter what doubts may exist in regard to the legal election of Gov. Waller — I cannot and have 
not for one moment entertained the idea that it would be possible for me to hold the office of governor under 
the existing circumstances, no matter what the general assembly may do or declare ; and any action they take, 
must be with the knowledge that in no event will I serve or take the position, which I believe it was the 
intent of the electors to give to another. 

Very truh- yours, \Vm. H. Btlkeley. 

The legislature then passed the "Healing Act," validating the disputed "black ballots," 
which was a vety peculiar document. Air. Waller was installed in the gubernatorial chair, 
and General Bulkeley retired to private life with the respect of all the citizens of the state. 
After the battle regarding the ballots was over, the Hartford Post spoke thus of General 
Bulkeley's course during the campaign: "General Bulkeley has stood in the face of unscni- 
pulous opposition, which has gone to extreme lengths in assailing him unjustly, in a dignified 
attitude ; he has permitted no word to escape his lips which could possibly be distorted into 
an unpleasant reflection upon his traducers. He has borne himself like the true gentleman 
that he is, and in his defeat the cleanliness of his record and the manliness of his bearing 
give his friends a renewed assurance that their confidence in him was fully deserved." 

Governor Bitlkeley is an acti\e member of Robert O. T)ler Post, G. A. R., of Hartford, 
and also of the Army and Nav}' Club of Connecticut, and in each of these organizations his 
interest is shown in many practical ways. A member of the Pearl Street Congregational 
church, he is a generous contributor to its charities. A prominent citizen of Hartford for 
nearly two-score years. Governor Bulkeley's name is conspicuous in political and business 
circles, far outside the limits of the city and county. First, as having occupied the second 
highest office within the gift of the people of his adopted state, and next as the proprietor 
of one of the most noted dry goods emporiums in this section of New England. His ances- 
tors were distinguished for the impression the)- made on the moral, civil and business life 
of the communities in which they lived, and this representative of a later generation is no 
exception to the rule of the past. In private life, he is a gentleman of superior traits of 
character, and tlie social life of Hartford would be the loser by his removal. Now in the 
prime of his manhood, always popular with his constituents and honored by his fellow-citizens, 
it is more than probable that the future has yet liigher honors in store for his acceptance. 

Wm. H. Bulkeley was married Sept. 8, 1863, to Emma, daughter of Melvin and Letitia 
Gurney of Brooklyn, N. Y. The family circle now includes six children: Airs. Edward S. 
Van Zile of New York city, Col. W. E. A. Bulkeley of Hartford,. Mrs. David Van Schaack 
of Brooklyn, N. Y., John C. Bulkele}-, student at Trinity College, and Sallie Taintor and 
Richard Beaumaris Bulkeley, the two latter being still under the parental roof. 



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OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 99 

OODWARD, P. HKXRY, of Hartford, son of Ashbel and of Emeline (Bicknell) 
Woodward, was born in Franklin, Conn., March 19, 1S33. 
-^ He is the ei«;hth in descent from Richard Woodward, who embarked in 

tlic shij) "Elizabeth" at Ipswich, England, April 10, 1634, and whose name 
Is on the earliest list of proprietors of Watertown, Mass. The Woodward 
o^enealoon,- is given in Dr. Henry Bond's History of Watertown. His father was a physician 
of nnnsnal skill, and incidentally a deep student of the antiquities and genealogies of New 
England. A sketch of his life may be found in the New England Historical and Genealog- 
ical Register for April, 1886. The son graduated at Yale College in 1855, grading high 
for thoroughness and elegance of scholarship. He studied law in part at Harvard, and toward 
the clcse of i860 opened an office in Savannah, Ga., in company with William Robert 
Gignilliat, Jr., of that state. Soon interrupted by the outbreak of war, professional practice 
was never resumed. Returning north after most of the lines of connnunication had been 
closed to through tra\el, he spent the next year in study and writing. 

From September, 1862, till September, 1865, he furnished the editorials and attended 
to the night dispatches of the Hcxriford Daily Cimrant. .\ reminiscent letter from Mr. 
Woodward in the memorial number issued Dec. 10, 1892, sa\s, " Personallv my connection 
with the Couraut was delightful from beginning to end, and was given up regretfullv from 
loss of health through overwork." 

In September, 1865, he was appointed special agent of the post-office department, and 
was entrusted with the duty of reconstructing the service in the state of Georgia. The 
task was performed so efficienth- that he was soon placed in charge of the through mails 
and of the wdiole scheme of distribution between the Ohio River and the Gulf of ^Mexico, 
and eastward to the Carolinas. He transferred the work from stationary offices like Nashville, 
Montgomery and Augusta to cars fitted up for the purpose, and as he was allowed without 
interference to select clerks with sole reference to their qualifications, the mail facilities of 
the South were quickly raised from disorganization and chronic incompleteness to a degree 
of excellence unsurpa.ssed in the most favored parts of the country. 

With the change of administration he was relieved from superintendence of the railwav 
service and assigned to general duties, with headquarters at .\ugusta, Ga. The position 
involved a great deal of travel, required at times intense but brief spurts of mental activitv, 
and brought numerous adventures, some of which in the disordered state of the countn- were 
made more exciting by a flavor of peril. Occasionalh- the rapidit_\- and certainty with which 
complicated skeins were unra\elled, startled by dramatic effects the witnesses drawn by 
circumstances into the inquiries. In February, 1873, Mr. Woodward, then engaged on 
important matters in Georgia and Alabama, received repeated and urgent dispatches to 
hurr>' to Washington. On reaching the department he was told that there was dishonesty 
in the management of the office at New York city, and was instructed to probe it to the 
bottom. He was also assured that the government would stand behind him with all its 
resources. He met by appointment Harry G. Pearson, then a railway postal clerk, who after- 
wards, by successive promotions for merit alone, became postmaster of New York citv. 
Together they connnenced the work. 

In the first corner invaded, the cold blooded stealings from the government exceeded 
$10,000 per annum. Other corners were just as bad. \'er)- soon they began to encounter 
mysterious obstacles. The pett>- thieves inside were in league with powerful politicians on 
the outside who, for the sake of themselves and their confederates, put forth herculean efforts 
to stop the investigation. Finally after a siege of a month or more, during which the defenders 



lOO REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

of guilty secrets were protected by masked batteries at every turn, Mr. Woodward received 
from Postmaster-General Creswell a letter stuffed with personal compliments but relieving 
him from further prosecution of the case, and directing him to turn over all the books and 
papers connected with the affairs of the outgoing regime to a convenient tool held in reserve 
for such emergencies. The compliments in the missive that ended the investigation l:)rought 
unspeakable pain to the recipient, for these were so many implicit admissions that gangs 
of politicians banded together for plunder and for mutual protection were sometimes strong 
enough to laugh at law and justice, and even to def}- successfully the government of the 
Republic. Permitted to select his residence wherever he pleased, ]\Ir. Woodward now trans- 
ferred his headquarters from Georgia to Connecticut. 

In the summer of 1874, Hon. Marshall Jewell was recalled by President Grant from 
the court of St. Petersburgh to take the position of postmaster-general. One of his earliest 
acts as a member of the cabinet was to unite with Secretary Bristow in sending a commis- 
sion to Texas to investigate charges of wide-spread corruption brought against federal office- 
holders in that state, and he selected Mr. Woodward to represent the post-ofifice department. 
Several had preceded on similar missions and in each instance had pronounced the accusa- 
tions to be groundless. In a few days at widely separated places the commission unearthed 
a mass of villainy, the accumulation of years of mal-administration, that astonished even the 
parties who had persisted in pi'essiug the charges in the face of roseate reports from successive 
investigators. Speedy removals followed in the principal federal offices of that state. 

vShortly afterwards Mr. Woodward was appointed chief of the corps of special agents. 
About a quarter of the force consisted of highly gifted and skillful men upon whom the real 
work devolved. Many on the rolls were incompetent. The corps was rapidly reconstructed 
with a single eye to efficiency. Subordinate divisions were established at convenient points 
throughout the country, and other changes of method introduced which became permanent 
features of the system. Unfit men were dropped and promotions made from other branches 
of the service for merit alone in disregard of the demands of politicians. Quickly the force 
rose to unexampled effectiveness. Other departments in difficult cases invoked its aid. Fail- 
ure to sticceed became a tradition of the past. Conspiracies between contractors and clerks 
to obtain routes by fraudulent bids were discovered and broken up. Old abuses were rooted 
out. Large sums were saved by cutting off or reducing unnecessary service dishonestly 
procured. Mr. Woodward supervised the entire work. 

Meanwhile in pursuing the whiskey frauds Secretary Bristow had in\-aded the White House. 
In the memorable utterance, " L,et no guilty man escape," General Grant spoke in all sincerity, 
little dreaming that his own confidential secretarj' was deeply implicated. Unwisely both 
Bristow and Jewell entered the Cincinnati convention in 1876 as candidates for the succession. 
Instead of planning for advancement, reformers should be prepared for martyrdom. The 
action of those gentlemen gave their enemies the opportunity to persuade the President that 
his own confidential advisers had scandalized his administration, merely to rise on the dishonor 
of their chief. Weary and desperate. General Grant dismissed them both. The move was 
followed b}- the official massacre of all who had been prominent in the exposure and prosecution 
of frauds in the two departments. Thus the subject of this sketch was retired after eleven 
years of senice. 

In his "Testimony relating to the Star Route ca,ses" (page two and following), Hon. 
Thomas L,. James, postmaster-general under General Garfield, explains how Mr. Woodward 
was recalled. At an interview on the 9th of March, 1881, the President told Mr. James 
that in the star route service " he was satisfied there had been willful waste of the public 
money and gross corruption," and instructed him " to pursue this investigation until there 
were no more facts to ascertain." He then asked, "How do you propose to proceed?" 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1S94. loi 

I replied that, with his api)roval, I shoulil telegraph 1'. II. Wooilward of Connecticut, formerly chief 
special agent of the Post-oflfice Department, and a man of character and integrity — who, while in the depart- 
ment, had rendered great service to the gCT\'ernment in breaking up the practice of straw bidding in connection 
with star-route contracts — to come to Washington, and that I would place the investigation in his hands. The 
President said that this met with his entire approval. 

On my way back to the department, I met Senator Hawlcy and Governor Jewell of Connecticut. .-Vt my 
request both these gentlemen telegraphed to Mr. Woodward to accept the position of inspector. In reply to 
mv telegram, Mr. Woodward met me in New York on the I2th of March, when I asked him to become my 
confidential agent in the investigation of the star-route frauds. He accepted, accompanied me to Washington, 
and was commissioned as an inspector on the 14th of March. I notified the President of Mr. Woodward's 
arrival. He said that he was much annoyed in regard to certain large post offices in North Carolina, South 
Carolina and Georgia ; that he did not wish to make mistakes in appointments in this connection ; that only 
men fit to be postmasters and those having the confidence of the people should be appointed, and that as 
Mr. Woodward had formerly lived in the South he thought it would be well to place all the applications 
for appointment in his hands and let him visit the cities in which these offices w^ere located, inquire into 
the fitness and character of the applicants, and recommend the person best equipped for the place. These 
suggestions were carried out, and in consequence very little progress was made in the star-route investiga- 
tions until the ist of April. • • • • 

In the early part of April, fortified with f.icts and figures laboriously and carefully collated, Mr. 
Woodward and myself called on the President and exhibited a comparative statement of the most corruptly 
manipulated routes. He displayed great surprise, and wished to know if the figures had been verified by 
the records. He also added that he had been providentially saved from falling into a trap which had 
evidently been set for him, and seemed to be contemplating some peril which he had escaped. ♦ • ♦ On 
the 19th of .\pril, Inspector Woodward addressed me a communication strongly urging that the interests of 
the pending investigation anil of the department demanded the retirement of Thomas J. Brady from the 
office of second assistant postmaster-general. The same evening Woodward and myself called upon the 
President, to whom I referred the letter. He at once directed Brady's dismissal. 

Picked men were sent to the Rocky ]\Iountain states, and territories, where most of the 
manipulated routes were located, in quest of facts relating to the performance of the 
service. ]\Ir. Woodward personally examined seriatim the complicated and bedeviled papers 
on file in the department, and prepared the abstracts showing just what had been done and 
what could be proved. .-Ml implicated persons who hoped to obtain immunity bv giving 
information, were required to communicate through him. On this point Dr. Edward C. 
Savidge says — in his "Life of Benjamin Harris Brewster," page 140: 

Messrs. MacVeagli and James, knowing the difficulty of acquiring the secrets of a rich, powerful and 
well-organized ring, quietly announced that the a<lministration would protect from harm the minor tools of 
the principals who would give valuable information to the government. It became Mr. Woodward's duty to 
receive these confidences, and he thus acquired the secrets of the ring, which he reduced to writing. Many 
of these, seen by the writer, are startling in the number of eminent men they implicate. Mr. Woodward's 
position was unique, yet perilous. The criminals learned to trust him implicitly; he never broke faith with 
one of them. They understood that their disclosures should guide the government in preparing the cases, 
but should not harm themselves, or be used in court, unless they were to be accepted as state's evidence 
and given immunity. It was the policy of the government to mention no man's name in connection with 
the matter unless he was to be taken into court and prosecuted. 

An account of the methods of the conspirators, of the trials, and of the debauchery of 
the juries, may be found in the "Life of Benjamin H. Brewster," by Dr. E. C. Savidge. 
More exhaustive information is contained in the records of the two trials filling seven large 
volumes, and in the testimony taken by the committee of the House. (48th Congress, ist 
Session, House of Representatives, Mis. Doc. 38, Part 2.) 

Of the part perforuied by Mr. Woodward, Mr. Richard T. Merrick, leading counsel for 
the government and the acknowledged head of the Washington bar, said: (.\side from 
as.sociate counsel), the others "with whom I was brought more directly in contact than 
with anyl)ody else were Mr. Woodward, whom you have had before you, and Mr. L>-man, 
the present second assistant postma.ster-general, and two more diligent, faithful and earnest 
officers neither this nor, in my judgment, any other government ever had." 

14 



I02 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

In addition to other testimony of similar import Attorney General Brewster said, " I 
think without Mr. Woodward these cases never could have been instituted. I think he 
was, to iise one word, invaluable. He is a man of remarkable intellio;ence ; he is a man 
of great purity of character ; he is an educated gentleman. In all my life, in an experience 
of over forty-six years of legal practice, I never ha^•e met with a man who could assist a lawyer 
better than Mr. Woodward." 

Mr. Woodward left the postal service soon after the change of administration in 1885. 
In 1888, prominent business men of Hartford, discouraged by the stationary- condition of the 
town and by the removal to other places of several promising enterprises, organized the 
Board of Trade. At the urgent solicitation of the president, Mr. J. ^I. Allen, and others, 
Mr. Woodward took the secretaryship. He proceeded at once to collect full and exact 
statistics in respect to insurance, banking and manufactures — the leading interests of the city. 
These duly incorporated into historical accounts, and reinforced by other matter relating to 
public works, education, art, local charities, etc., etc., were published the following season 
in a volume of two hundred and twenty pages. Four-fifths of an edition of ten thousand 
were circulated within a few months. The growth of the town since the formation of the 
Board of Trade has been phenomenal. The record year by year may be found in the annual 
reports of the association. 

In June, 1890, the Hartford Board of Trade Room and Power Company was organized 
with a capital of $100,000 fully paid, Mr. Woodward being secretarj- and treasurer. The 
following season an elegant building of three stories, three hundred and sixty feet long, was 
completed. It was then sold on terms which reimbursed the shareholders, principal and 
interest, the purchasers carrying out the original purpose of the undertaking. 

For the hundredth anniversary' of the Hartford Bank (June 14, 1892), at the request 
of the president and directors, Mr. Woodward wrote its historv', a book of one hundred and 
seventy-six pages. Many years ago he wrote a series of sketches drawn from the postal ser\'ice, 
under the title of " Guarding the Mails." 

Sept. II, 1867, Mr. Woodward married Mary, only daughter of Charles vSmith of South 
Windham, Conn., a highly successful manufacturer, widely known for ability and elevation 
of character. He has two children, a daughter and son. 




jALDWIN, SI]\IEON EBEN, of New Haven, associate justice of the Supreme 
Court of Errors, was born in the city where he now resides, Feb. 5, 1840. 

The exact locality in England from which John Baldwin, the original 
emigrant of the name, departed is unknown, and the time of his arrival in 
this country is also uncertain. In early manhood he came from Norwich to 
Guilford, about 1650. His son Thomas had a son Ebenezer who was a captain in the 
militia, and a representative to the General Court. Simeon Baldwin, son of Ebenezer, was 
a man of marked character and took a prominent part in the affairs of the day. Graduat- 
ing from Yale College in 1781, besides being a member of Congress and mayor of New 
Haven, he was a judge of the Supreme Court of Errors. He married Rebecca, daughter 
of Roger Sherman, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Roger Sherman Baldwin, 
named for his maternal grandfather, graduated from Yale College in the class of 1811, from 
which institution he afterwards received the degree of EL.D., an honor which was also 
conferred on him by Trinity College, Hartford. High official stations were often presented 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 103 

for his acceptance. In 1S43-44 he was governor of Connecticnt, and in 1S47 he was 
chosen United States senator. He took an active part in the national Peace Convention of 
186 1. His wife, nee Emily Perkins, was a danghter of Enoch and Anna Perkins of 
Hartford. Her mother was a daughter of Rev. Timothy Pitkin of Farmington, a Fellow of 
Yale College and a trustee of Dartmouth College, and was a grand-daughter of President 
Clapp of Vale. She was a descendant of John Haynes, who occupied the unique position of 
first having been governor of Massachusetts and afterwards of Connecticut, and of Gov. 
William Pitkin of Connecticut. She was also descended from Gov. George Wyllys of 
Connecticut, and of Gov. Thomas Dudley of Massachusetts, and Gov. William Bradford of 
the Plymouth Colony. Of his father's family, Simeon E. I5ald\viu was the youngest. 

His preparation for college was received at the Hopkins granunar school, and entering 
Yale he was graduated in the class of 1861. Choosing the Ic^al profession as the one best 
adapted to his tastes, Mr. Baldwin studied at the Yale and Harvard Law Schools and also 
had the benefit of experience in his father's office, the latter being one of the leading 
lawyers of the state. Admitted to the bar in 1863, he at once commenced the practice of 
his profession in the city of his birth. This was contimied until 1893, when he was 
appointed by Governor Morris associate judge of the Supreme Court of Errors. In this 
score and a half years, he made annual additions to his reputation as a painstaking and 
conscientious lawyer, who left nothing undone which would assist in bringing success to 
his side of the case. Without devoting himself to any special branch of the law, he secured 
a large and profitable clientage and what is known as "general practice," throughout the 
state, and occasionally was engaged in cases in the courts of ^Massachusetts, Rhode Island 
and New York. 

Among the more prominent cases with which Judge Baldwin's name is identified are 
Todd I's. Townsend Savings Bank, involving the question of the rights of holders of non- 
negotiable paper as against assignees in bankruptcy, the case being finally carried to the 
Supreme Court of the United States; the Union Switch Signal Co. vs. Hall Switch & 
Signal Co., in which the validity of the Hall patent for automatic railroad signals as the 
first American patentee in this land was involved; Boston & Providence Railroad vs. 
Hartford, Providence & Fishkill Railroad, before the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 
brought to attack the lease and sale of the defendant road to the Boston, Hartford & Erie 
Co. ; Earl P. Mason et als. vs. the same, in the Circuit Court of the United States for the 
District of Massachusetts, involving claims of the preferred stockholders of the defendant 
road ; the suit under which the New York & New England Road was put in the hands 
of a receiver by the Circuit Court of the United States in 1884, entitled Bressey vs. New 
York & New England Railroad Co. ; the foreclosure of the ]Middletown, New Haven & 
Willimantic Railroad first mortgage in 1875, in the Superior Court of Middlesex County, 
Connecticut ; the Andover heresy case, so called, before the Supreme Judicial Court of 
Massachusetts ; the Shepaug voting tnist cases, in the Superior Court of Fairfield County, 
Connecticnt, involving the validity of the voting trusts for the control of the corporation ; 
the case of the mayor of New York vs. the New England Transfer Company, in the 
Circuit Court of the southern district of New York, involving the right of the defendant 
to run a steam transfer around the city to connect the New York, New Haven & Hartford 
Railroad with the Pennsyhania Railroad, which the city claimed required a ferr\- license. 

In 1869, Judge Baldwin was invited to become an instructor in the Yale Law School. 
He accepted the offer, and filled the position until three years later, when he was made 
profes.sor of constitutional law at Yale, and has given instructions to a greater or less 
extent 'to the present time. He was a member of the commission appointed by the state 



I04 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

in 1872 to revise the laws on the subject of education, and the next year was made a 
member of a commission to revise the general statntes of the state. The report of this last 
commission was the basis of the revision effected in 1875. For the year 1877 he was a 
member of the committee on jurisprndence of the State Bar Association of Connecticut, and 
in this capacity he drew and presented the report in favor of adopting the system of code 
pleadings in civil actions in this state. His work resnlted in legislative action to that 
effect, and he was made a member of a commission in 1878 to devise a proper plan to 
achieve this end and simplify legal procedure in civil cases. From 1885 to 1887 he was a 
member of the state commission to revise the system of taxation and revenne. They 
reported in favor of a series of changes, afterwards adopted b}' the Legislatnre, and which 
lia\e increased the income of the state by the amount of se\-eral hundred thonsand dollars. 

Judge Baldwin ser\-ed for some years as chairman of the committee on jnrisprndence 
and law reform of the American Bar Association, and was elected president of that association 
in 1890. In 1884 he received the honor of an election as president of the New Haven Colonv 
Historical Society, and by successive elections is still filling that ofhce. His long and intimate 
acqnaintance with the early history of the colony render him especially well adapted for the 
dnties incnmbent upon the position. He is also a member of the American Antiquarian 
Society, and of the association for the Reform and Codification of the Law of Nations. As 
a writer, Jndge Baldwin is a standard anthority npon matters pertaining to the statute law 
of the state, and he is the author of a digest on the "Connecticut Law Reports," published 
in two volumes, as well as of a large number of articles, papers and addresses from time to 
time. The subjects are by no means confined to legal points, but embrace theology, social 
science, the theor}- of government and other questions of an abstract character. Several 
have been read before the American Historical Association, American Bar Association and 
American Social Science Association ; others before the Tennessee and Ohio State Bar 
Associations, etc. 

For a long series of years, Judge Baldwin has been recognized as a leading factor in 
the political affairs of his native state. During the presidential campaign of 1884, he was 
president of the Independent State Committee, which advocated the election of Grover Cleve- 
land to be chief executive of the nation. In 1889, he was president of the State Democratic 
Club, and was reelected annually up to the time of his going on the beuch. He has also been 
president of the ]Monticello Club, which is the leading Democratic social organization of the 
state, and the only Democratic club owning a building in the New England States. In 
religious faith Judge Baldwin affiliates with the Congregational Church, and has served as 
moderator of the General Conference. At different times he has been president of the New 
Haven Congregational Chib, and also of that organization which is accomplishing so much 
of good — the Young ■Men's Christian Association of New Haven. He was onaof those who 
were instrumental in securing East Rock Park, and since the Commission of Public Parks 
was instituted by the legislature he has been vice-president of the board. Here again his 
wide experience and carefully trained mind have made his counsels of great value. 

His reputation as a lawyer is secure, and is based on the solid foimdation of long con- 
tinued success. His influence as an author, and the value of his writings, increases with 
each succeeding year. And in his new position as associate jiidge of the Supreme Court of 
Errors, he has given proof of Governor Morris's wisdom in selection. Wherever he has been 
placed he has always been equal to the situation, and he has never disappointed his constituents 
or those who had honored him in the elevation to office. 

Simeon E. Baldwin was married Oct. 19, 1865, to Susan, daughter of Edmund Winchester 
of Boston. Three children were the result of this union, of whom two are living. Roger 
Sherman, a graduate of Yale College in 1890, and of the Law School in 1893. 





^<^^<^^ 





>A 





C<^ 



^-vuc-><y 




OF COXXECTICUT, iS6 1-1894. 105 

EXKY, HENRY, senior member of the old and well-known firm of H. .S: \V. 
Keney of Hartford, was born March 20, 1806. 

Mr. Keney's direct ancestors were among the ancient inhabitants of Hast 
Hartford, some of whom spelled the name Keeney, as will appear by. monu- 
mental inscriptions bearing dates in the latter half of the seventeenth century. 
His father, Joseph Keney, removed to Hartford about the year 1800, and established a grocery 
business in the same store subsequently occupied by his sons Henry and Walter. Joseph 
Keney died in 181 1, leaving a widow and the two little boys. Madam Keney's maiden 
name was Rebecca, daughter of Samuel Turner. Siie died in 1848, but lived so long in the 
enjoyment of a mother's pride that her boys had won sticcess, by business methods wliich 
gave them the highest reputation for integrity and honor. 

Henry was educated in the public schools of Hartford, and at the early age of fifteen 
entered the grocer}- store of Alva Gilman as a clerk. The reliable and energetic character 
of the boy was so quickly developed and appreciated, that at the age of twenty-two he was 
admitted as a partner, with Stephen Spencer, under the firm name of Gilman, Spencer & 
Keney. Two years later he retired from the firm, and with his brother Walter commenced 
business on their own account, under the name of H. & W. Keney, in the store formerly 
occupied by their father, and the business they established has continued to this day. In 
1855, Ebenezer Roberts and James N. Goodwin were taken into the firm, and the stvle 
became Keueys, Roberts & Goodwin. This continued until the death of Mr. Goodwin in 
1867, when it was changed to Keueys 8: Roberts. The death of Walter Kenev in Januarv, 
1889, necessitated another change. William Tucker and H. H. Cioodwiu were then admitted 
as partners, under the style of Keney, Roberts & Company ; and thus after sixty-four years 
the business is still being pushed with energ}- and success, and under the same roof. The 
building was first occupied by Jo.seph Keney, then by E. & R. Terr}-, next h\ James 
Goodwin, 2d, then by H. & W. Kene}-, and has had no other tenants. 

\'arious enterprises occupied the attention and capital of the original firm of H. &. W. 
Keney, other than the mercantile affairs of the partnership in their store; and their success 
gave them first rank as ideal business men. They were never separated in business, nor in 
personal affairs, and they had no separate accounts. The expenses of one were the expenses 
of the other. What one received the other received, and the gifts of one were the gifts of the 
other. H they gave largely it was without ostentation, but with the business purpose of 
accomplishing the object in view. In a smaller wa}- the aggregate, though large, was charac- 
terized by that discretion which gives temporary help, w-ithont creating permanent dependence. 

The}- had a substantial interest in ever}thing which was useful and looked to the welfare 
of Hartford. The Public Librar}-, Hartford Library, Trinity College, Old People's Home, 
Goodwill Clnb, Young Men's Christian Association, Hartford Hospital, Orphan Asylum, etc., 
all have received largely from their munificence, and in the best sense of the word they 
loved to do good. 

Heur}- Keney is personally the subject of this sketch, but the history of one brother is 
so closely the history of the other, that it is impossible to speak of one without mentioning 
the other. It is a singular fact that he never changed his residence but once. The house 
where he was born is on the east, and the house where he lives on the west side of the 
store, and but a few rods apart ; he now owns them both. 

In June, 1842, Henr}- Keney was elected director in the Hartford Fire Insurance Com- 
pany, and in 1885 was chosen vice-president. He has been director of the Farmers' and 
Mechanics' Bank since May, 1840, and vice-president since January, 1S69, and has held the 
same office in The Hartford Carpet Company for many years. He is a director in The 



io6 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Hartford &. Wethersfield Horse Railroad Company, and a trustee in the Society for Sav- 
ings, Hartford Hospital, Old People's Home, Orphan Asylum, and others in which he has 
taken special interest. 

An ardent admirer and a great lover of good horses, his stables are never without 
witnesses to his unerring judgment of their desirable qualities. To be Henry Keuev's 
horse is evidence of qualifications to which few attain, and of which those owned by him 
have reason to be proud. They are his faithful servants, and he is their faithful friend. 

Henry Keney fills a very large place in the community which has enjoved his 
prosperity, and profited largely by the example of a well balanced, consistent, and useful 
life. It is enough to sa\- that for the work of his hands the world has been made better. 
He has passed the age when the strength of man is but labor and sorrow, but there are 
none who will not praj- that his days may be lengthened, and his strength increased. 




^r^ENEY, WALTER, born July lO, 1808. Married Mary Jeannette Goodwin, June 
3, 1840. Died Jan. 21, 1889, without children. 



The family and business history of his brother, Henry, having been made 
the sul)ject of the previous sketch, his story need not be told, as they are 
substantially the same; nevertheless he had personal characteristics which lent 
a peculiar charm to his life, and will ever remain in the memory of his numerous friends. 
His quiet and unobtrusive humor, which so frequently disclosed the keen and appreciative 
sense of passing events, and the peculiarities of other men, was often the only evidence that 
he had noticed so carefully those things which were supposed to have been unobserved. 
Those who received his benefactions were often surprised to find that he knew how great was 
the necessity, which had been relieved with so much delicacy and thoughtfulness. Demon- 
strations of gratitude were embarrassing ; he knew that his object had been accomplished ; 
his inner consciousness was satisfied, and that was enough. 

His judgment was accurate and just, and, with great toleration for the opinions of others, 
he adhered to his own convictions. A single word, question, or sign, which betrayed an 
opposite opinion, often had more weight than strong declamation, in which he never indulged. 
A life long and most intimate friend made the following public contribution to his 
memory: "Few men ha^•c lived more industrious, prudent, and honorable ]i\-es than Walter 
Kene\-. To his quiet disposition, great evenness of temper, and sound judgment, was added 
altogether more of a firmness of opinion than many would suspect. A violent opposition to 
the v'iews of another was no part of his nature, so he did not make himself offensive by his 
contradictions, or bring reproach by his silence. Those who knew him well were often 
astonished by his ready recollection of what he had read, and the aptness of the quotations 
which he made. He was singularly attentive to his friends, keenly enjoying their society, 
and mindful of their interests; his sympathy was kindly manifested in all their trials and 
afflictions; his pleasure was increased by their success and prosperity. While he was an 
active benefactor to the parish, he could look beyond its borders for his gifts. His generous 
nature found refuge in his kindly help to the poor and afflicted, and to the furtherance of all 
objects for good. Few have li\ed more useful lives in our town, or have afforded a better 
example to young men." 

He was a director in \-arious institutions, which profited by his influence and advice. 
A large estate was left to his wife, whose will expressed the aim and purpose of a successful 
life, which was not only valuable in the times which have past, but reaches far into the 
future, with a kindly beneficence wdiich cannot be expressed with words. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 



107 




OBERTS, EBENEZER, of Hartford, member of the firm of Keney, Roberts & 
^^^ Company, was born in Westfield, Conn., Oct. 28, 1819. He was a son of Enoch 

^ l?/\ ^^ Cornwall Roberts and g^randson of Ebenezer Roberts, Esq. The latter was an 
officer in the War of the Revolution, and with Washinj^^on in operations about 
New York and the North River, and the battles in New Jersey and Vorktown, 
\'a. .\fter the war he settled in Westfield, near Middlctown, Conn. 

At the age of fifteen \ears, Ebenezer Roberts entered the employ of H. & W. Kencv of 
Hartford. His promptness, efficiency and the conscientious care with which he perfonned all 
the duties assigned him, soon found appreciation by his employers. Gradually advanced from 
point to point in management of affairs, in 1855 he was taken into partnership in the firm, 
the name being changed to Keneys, Roberts & Goodwin. On the death of Mr. Goodwin, the 
name became Keneys & Roberts, and in March, 1889, after the death of Mr. Walter Kenev, 
William Tucker and Henry H. Goodwin were taken into the firm, and the title was chano-ed 
to Keney, Roberts & Company, \vhich it still retains. 

This house is the oldest wholesale grocery house in the state, and has been doing business 
on the same location for over half a century. As the Messrs. Kenev advanced in age, the 
active management has been left more and more in the hands of Mr. Roberts, and he has 
well sustained the traditions of the past. Bringing into the concern only the capital of 
sterling qualities in the .shape of energy, integrity and great capacity for business, he has 
risen to his present position in the mercantile world of Hartford simplv bv his own endeavors. 
No concern in New England is better known or more highly respected for its reliability and 
fair dealings. 

The responsibilities of public office have had little attraction for Mr. Roberts, but he 
has dexoted a small share of his time to finance and insurance. He has held a directorship 
in the Hartford National Bank for many years, and he fills a similar position in the Travelers' 
Insurance Company and in the National Fire Insurance Company. In all these boards his 
counsel is valued, and his opinions command the fullest respect. 

Jan. 18, 1843, Mr. Roberts was married to Claris.sa, daughter of Bcla and Clarissa Bancroft 
of Granville, Mass. :Mrs. Roberts died Jan. 12, 1883, and is mourned by a wide circle of 
friends. One child, a daughter, Florence C, wife of Col. William C. Skinner, is still living. 




RENCH, C.VRLOS, of Seymour, ex-congressman from the Second District, was 
born in Humphreysyille (now Seymour), Aug. 6, 1835. 

His first American ancestor, Francis French, came over exactly two hun- 
l_P^^^^ fired years previously in the ship "Defence," and landed in Boston in 1635. 
'^ He was at that time a mere boy, and later transferred his residence to Milford, 

Conn. From him the family line comes down through(2) Francis, Jr., (3) Israel, (4) Charles, 
to (5) Raymond, who lived in Humphreysville, and married Olive Curtis of Middlebur)-, 
Conn., and of their children the subject of this sketch was the oldest. 

Young French's education was largely obtained at General Rus.sell's school at New 
Haven. After spending several years in his father's factor}- and gaining an intimate acquaint- 
ance with business affairs and at the same time becoming a thorough mechanic, in 1859 he 
entered the manufacturing world on his own account, the line of goods produced being car 
springs. In 1866, he, with others, set the Fowler Nail Company in operation, and three 



io8 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

years later he became its president, and is now holding that office. As a director, Mr. 
PVench is interested in the Seymour Manufacturing Company, the United States Pin Coni- 
pan\-, the Seymour Electric Light Company, and the H. A. ]\Iathews Manufacturing Company, 
his counsel and experience adding in no small degree to the success of each corporation. A 
share of his financial interests are placed in New Haven, and he has been a director of the 
Second National Bank of that city for many years. 

]Men of Mr. French's ability and force of character must expect to be asked to accept 
official station at the hands of their fellow-citizens. In i860 and again in 1868 he was elected 
to represent the town of Seymour in the lower branch of the state legislature, and the latter 
year served on the committee on general railroad law. He had been previously mentioned 
as a candidate for the office, but in 1886 he was nominated by the Democrats of the 
Second Congressional District as their standard bearer, and the nomination was ratified at 
the polls. In Congress he was no drone, but represented the best interests of the entire 
congressional district. He served as a member of the committees on invalid pensions, on 
claims and on labor, though his principal work was in connection with the first-iramed com- 
mittee. The states of Massachusetts and Connecticut were assigned to him, and he looked 
out carefullv for the old soldiers within their borders. Mr. French has ever been reluctant 
to accept office on account of his engrossing business responsibilities, but has ser\-ed on the 
local school board, and has been energetic in matters relating to the improvement and growth 
of the \illage of Seymour. 

Always a friend to every movement tending to the development of the Naugatuck \'alley, 
he has naturallv been a zealous advocate of the railroad which runs through its entire length. 
As the Naugatuck road had been leased to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Rail- 
road Company, it was very fitting that when there was an election to fill some vacancies at 
the last meeting of the corporation, that he should be chosen a director in the latter road. 

In an article alluding to the changes in the board, and the personnel of the new mem- 
bers, the Hartford Courani .said of him : 

The Hon. Carlos French of .Seymour has long been interested in the Naugatuck road and is another of 
the leading men of that busy valley. He is a man of large ability, held in high esteem by a wide circle of 
friends. The board has a number of influential Republicans in its membership, but Mr. French will prevent it 
from tipping over that way. He is a Democrat from 'waj' back, and is supposed to carry the ark of true 
Democracy about with him. Jlr. French belongs these days with Governor Ingersoll and other Democrats of 
that sort, who are used by their party as candidates at the time when they are sure of defeat — evidences of 
respectability rather than of hope. 

Although made by a paper belonging to the opposite party, the point regarding Mr. 
French's faithful adherence to Democratic principles is most fitly taken. Ever since the 
close of the war he has been prominent in the counsels of his party in Connecticut, and on 
the death of Senator Barnum, he was deemed the most suitable person to succeed him in 
a still wider field of action, and was chosen a member of the National Democratic Com- 
mittee. The Coiirant rightly voices the sentiment of the state, that whether men agree with 
his political principles or not, for his business ability and sturdiness of character they enter- 
tain the highest respect. 

Carlos French was married April 29, 1863, to Julia H., daughter of John ]Miles Thomp- 
son of Bridgeport. Two children have been born to them, of whom one, Raymond T., 
is now living, and is associated with his father in manufacturing. 








7^' 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 109 



IAIvvSEV, JERKMIAH, LL.D., an eminent lawyer of Norwich, several terms a 
member of the State Honse of Representatives, was born at Preston, Conn., 
■ n Feb. 8, 1S22. 

A sketch in Biography of ConiiccliciU says that "He is the son of tlie late 
Jeremiah S. Halsey, a respected citizen of Preston, and throngh him is descended 
from Revolutionary stock, his grandfather, Col. Jeremiah Halsey, also of Preston, a lawyer of 
great ability and extensive practice, having served with credit as an officer in the Continental 
army. The maiden name of his mother was Sally Brewster, and on her side he traces his 
ancestry to Elder William Brewster, who came over in the "Mayflower," and of whom he is a 
descendant in the seventh generation. In childhood his health was delicate and, in conse- 
qnence, his earlv education was obtained under serious disadvantages. After the usual years of 
instruction in the primary and grammar schools of his native village, he attended the old 
Academy at Norwich, which was one of the best institutions of the kind in the state. Here, an 
affection of the eyes gave him a great deal of trouble and, in connection with continued ill- 
health, interfered with his regular attendance and made it impossible for him to pursue the full 
classical course, thus defeating his laudable desire to complete his education at Yale College. 
Bv a degree of perseverance, which, under the trying circumstances, entitles him to great 
credit, he obtained, nevertheless, an excellent education, although it cost him no inconsider- 
able suffering. 

A change of climate being ordered by his family physician, he went to live at Haw- 
kinsville, Ga., and there studied law in the office of Messrs. Polhill & Whitfield. He was 
admitted to the bar by the superior court for the southern circuit of Georgia, at Hawkins- 
ville, on April 23, 1845, and on December nth of the same year, having returned to the 
north, he was duly adniitted to the bar of Windham County, Conn. His health being still 
in a precarious condition, he was obliged to devote further time to travel, but he continued 
his studies, notwithstanding many drawbacks, and laid a solid foundation upon which to base 
active practice when his physical health permitted him to enter the legal arena. In September, 
1849, being somewhat improved in health, he opened law offices at Norwich, in partnership 
with the late Sanuiel C. Morgan. Devoted to professional duties and desirous only of 
eminence at the bar, he had no thought or wish for political honors. But his fellow- 
citizens of Norwich insisted upon his serving them in the legislature, and in 1852, being 
nominated on the Whig ticket for the state House of Representatives, he was elected to 
that body by a vote which proved the respect entertained for him by the people irrespec- 
tive of parly. In 1853 he was reelected to the House, and in that year also was appointed 
city attorney of Norwich. After holding the latter office some eighteen years, winning 
golden opinions by his skilful defense of the city's interests, he resigned it in order that he 
might have more time to devote to his duties as a member of the commission charged with 
the task of building the new State Hou.se at Hartford, upon which he had been appointed 
by Governor Ingersoll. These duties terminated with the completion of the structure named, 
in 18S0. They were performed in the most conscientious manner and received grateful 
recognition from the highest officials and from the press and public in all parts of the state. 

A man of clear views and decided opinions, Mr. Halsey has never been a doubtful sub- 
ject upon political issues, although he has never courted prominence as a politician. The 
principles of the Republican party met his warmest approval from the outset, and he joined 
this organization as soon as it enunciated its platform. In 1859, he was elected to the legis- 
lature a third time, and was reelected in i860. During the tr\-ing period of the Civil War 
he was ardent in his support of the federal authorities and did all that lay in his power 

15 



no REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

to keep the state of Connecticut up to the highest requirements of patriotism. In April, 
1863, Mr. Halsey was admitted to practice in the United States Circuit Court, and on Feb. 
24, 1870, lie was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. A 
contemporaneous writer says: "The reports of many cases determined by the Supreme 
Court of the United States, in which Mr. Halsey made elaborate and effective arguments, 
will ever be monuments of his great ability and learning as a law)-er. "' Two of the 
most marked cases, " Wright vs. the Norwich & New York Transportation Company," 
reported 13 Wallace, p. 104; and "The City of Norwich." 118 U. S., p. 468, settled 
the construction of the act of Congress limiting the liability of ship owners on the basis 
of the maritime law of Europe, giving full protection to the vast shipping interests of 
the country. 

Mr. Halsey's eminence at the bar has been won by patient industr\- and heroic battling 
with adverse circumstances. Only the greatest determination of character could have enabled 
him to overcome the serious obstacles which he has encountered from his earliest years 
through the feebleness of his health, and only a will of iron could have sustained him in his 
ascent to eminence in his profession despite these obstacles. Few of his contemporaries have 
labored more assiduoush" to culti\ate their intellects, to broaden their knowledge, or to ele%-ate 
their profession. Respected alike for his solid acquirements — general as well as professional — 
and his pure character, he stands with the foremost members of the legal profession of 
Connecticut, and is known and honored far beyond the boundaries of the state which has 
been the principal theatre of his forensic efforts. Mr. Halsey combines a gift of pure logical 
power with an absolute lucidity of statement. In these most important qualities of an 
advocate and counselor, he has had few equals in his state and few superiors in the country. 
He is alwavs abounding in common sense, and his judgment as a manager of causes is almost 
infallible. His gifts flow out of a clean, honorable, truthful nature. Trinity College gave 
him the degree of IvU. D. in 1882. 

A devout Christian, Mr. Halsey has been a regular attendant at Christ Church (Episcopal), 
Norwich, ever since taking up his residence in that city, and during most of the time has 
held the office of warden or vestryman. He is liberal in his donations for Christian purposes, 
missionary and charitable, and is a generous friend of the poor and needy who seek his 
counsel and assistance. The inheritor of two honored names, he has added to their lustre 
by a blameless and a brilliant life, and his example and the lesson to be derived from it is a 
gift of no mean value to his native state. 

Mr. Halsey was married on June i, 1854, to Elizabeth Fairchild, the daughter of Andrew 
Fairchild of Redding, Conn. Mrs. Halsey is a woman of great refinement and high culture, 
and her home is one of the most charming and hospitable in the state. She has been active 
in church work for many years, and her charities have drawn upon her the blessings of a host 
of grateful recipients. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1S6T-1S94. 



?^ACON, FRANCIS, M. D., of New Haven, was born in that city Oct. 6, 1832. 
The records of the First Chnrch in Woodstock, Conn., show, in the fair hand- 
writing of Abiel Leonard, then pastor of that church, that on the 9th of 
August, 1764, "Joseph Bacon of Stoughtou, Mass., and Abigail Holmes of 
Woodstock " were married. Stoughtou was originally part of Dedham, and 
Michael Bacon, of whom Joseph is known to have been a descendant, was among the planters 
of that town, his name appearing on the records as early as 1640. Joseph Bacon seems to 
have been both ingenious and enterprising, but never in any high degree successful from a 
worldly point of view. David, fifth child of Joseph and Abigail Bacon, had all his father's 
mechanical ingenuity and dexterity, and at the same time possessed a strength of character not 
equalled by his father. Using the word in a noble sense, though it is commonly uttered with 
a sneer, David Bacon was a visionary man. The vision which he had was a vision of this 
.world made better and happier through his willing toil and suffering, and to this heavenly 
vision he was not disobedient. The pathetic story of his marriage to Alice Parks, a saintly 
and heroic girl of seventeen, of his mission to the wilderness of the northwest, and his subse- 
quent efforts in behalf of emigration, is too long to be more than barely mentioned in this brief 
sketch. He died in his forty-seventh year of a broken heart, "not having received the promise." 
Leonard, then fifteen years old, the eldest of seven children, left to be the mainsta\' of 
the family, was not unlike his father in character. He had the same holv "enthusiasm of 
humanity," the same high hope of what the world was to become, the same faith in God 
that there was nothing wrong but could be set right, and that he could help to set it right. 
Deciding to enter the ministry, he pursued a full course of theological studies, was regularly 
ordained and found his lifework preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ. 

Rev. Leonard Bacon, D.D., was a divine of the highest reputation, both at home and 
abroad, as a philosophic theologian and a masterly preacher. He was pastor of the First 
Church of New Haven from 1S25 to 1866, when he was made pastor oiieritus, and remained 
such until his death in 1881. A concise estimate of his character and a clear statement of 
the value of his labors is well told on the tablet which the Ecclesiastical Society connected 
with the church placed on the south wall of its house of worship : ' ' By the grace of God, 
Leonard Bacon, a servant of Jesus Christ, and of all men for His sake, here preached the 
Gospel for fiftj^-seven years. Fearing God and having no fear besides, loving righteousness 
and hating iniquity, friend of liberty and law, helper of Christian missions, teacher of teachers, 
promoter of every good work, he blessed the city and nation by ceaseless labors and a holy 
life, and departed peacefully into rest Dec. 24, 1881, leaving the world better for his having 
lived in it." 

At an early stage in the battle against slavery, Dr. Bacon espoused the cause of freedom, 
and his pen continued to be active both against slavery and they who, in destroying the cancer, 
would have destro)-ed the body which it imperilled, till slavery was abolished by President 
Lincoln's proclamation of freedom. Lincoln once said to Rev. Joseph P. Thompson that he 
"received his first convictions of the enormity of slavery from the writings of Dr. Bacon." 
He married Lucy, daughter of Ebenezer Johnson of Johnstown, N. Y., and in their family 
of nine children, Francis was the fourth. 

The early education of young Bacon was received in select schools at New Haven, which 
was followed by a course of study at home under a pri\-ate tutor. Thence he was sent to 
the Phillips Academy of Andover, Mass. Electing the profession of medicine as the one 
best adapted to his tastes, he entered the office of the celebrated Dr. Ives of New Haven, and 
in due course matriculated at the medical department of Yale University in 1849, from which 



112 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

he was graduated as M. D. in 1853. Active practice began in Galveston, Texas, where he 
remained about five years, part of which time he was in charge of tlie Galveston Cit\- Hospital. 
Being of northern birth. Dr. Bacon had no sympathy with the peculiar political sentiments 
of the people among whom he dwelt. A comparatively short space of time brought with 
it both medical reputation and pecuniary success. But the teachings of the father had been 
instilled into the son, the bright prospects for worldly advancement were laid aside for the 
sake of principle, and in 1859 he removed to his northern home. 

In the Civil War, which broke out after his return from the South, and the advent of 
which he had foreseen for some years, he promptly and patriotically arrayed himself on the side 
of constitutional law and order. In April, 1861, he entered the military service of the United 
States, in his native town, as assistant-surgeon of the Second Connecticut Volunteers, which 
was a three months' regiment, and which took part in the first disastrous engagement at Bull 
Run. Dr. Bacon was present with his command on that occasion. After the expiration of 
its term of enlistment, he was commissioned as surgeon of the Seventh Connecticut \'olunteers, 
and held that position until July, 1862, doing field duty most of the time, and being present 
with his regiment at its debarkation on Hilton Head, where it was the first to land on the 
hostile shore, and the first to wave the flag of Connecticut — after the stars and stripes — 
" above the traitorous soil of South Carolina." 

At this time Gen. T. W. Sherman, who was in command of the expedition, issued a 
proclamation intended to conciliate the people of South Carolina and induce them to return 
to their allegiance to the United States. It proved a most deplorable mistake, but Dr. 
Bacon's share in the transaction was greatly to his credit. Speaking of the affair, Mr. G. 
W. Smalley, correspondent of the Neiv York Tribune^ said: "The mission was considered 
both important and direct, and some time was spent in the selection of an envoy. General 
Sherman finalh- entrusted it to Dr. Francis Bacon, surgeon of the Seventh Connecticut 
Vohmteers, and detailed Lieutenant Wagner of his staff to accompany him. A circular 
letter was prepared by General Sherman worded as follows : ' Dr. Bacon and Lieutenant 
Wagner are sent under a flag of truce to convey to any citizens of South Carolina the}- 
ma>- meet with the earnest wishes of the undersigned that all lo\-al citizens should return 
peaceabh' to their homes and protect their property from the ravages that the negro popu- 
lation are now committing. All loyal and peaceable citizens shall be protected in their 
persons and property and receive the benefit of all constitutional enactments in their behalf. 
T. W. Sherman, Brigadier General Comdg. Port Royal, S. C, Nov. 13, 1861.' 

"Armed with this letter, Dr. Bacon and Lieutenant Wagner started November 14, about 
nine in the morning, on the United States gunboat 'Seneca,' for Beaufort, and on their arrival 
capturing a couple of rather indifferent nmles and hoisting a large white flag, rode inland." 
The story of their adventures was ludicrous in the extreme in places and slightly exciting 
in others, but a lack of space prevents its being inserted here. ]\Ir. Smalley closes with 
this paragraph: "There is some reason to hope that General Sherman himself is aware 
that his proclamation was a piece of folly, viewed military- wise, or politically, and he is 
too good a soldier to let a known blunder pass uncorrected. Certain it is that throughout 
his arm}', there are not two opinions concerning the policy of the general commanding. 
Officers of e\ery rank, and men of every regiment, disapprove and regret it. I have not 
heard one expression in its favor, nor even an apolog}- for its issue. This being the case, 
and the account I have given of the flag of truce having some ludicrous features, it is only 
right to say that Dr. Bacon discharged the unpleasant dut)- imposed upon him with the 
utmost faithfulness, courage and address." 





Ji-^5% 







,^^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, r 86 1-18^4. 113 

He was also on (hil\- with his regiment on Tybee Island, at the siege and capture 
of Fort Pulaski, Ga. In Ju]\-, 1862, he was commissioned surgeon of the United States 
Volunteers, with the rank of major, and became surgeon-in-chief of Gen. Silas Casey's 
division. He remained on duty in that position at Washington, D. C, until ^lay, 1S63, 
when he was transferred to New Orleans, in which city he organized the St. Louis General 
Hospital, of which he remained in charge about a year. During part of his period of 
service at New Orleans, Ur. Bacon filled the office of medical inspector of the Department 
of the Gulf in a most acceptable and efficient manner, and was also for some time the acting 
medical director. 

In August, 1864, he resigned his po.sition in the United States Army, in order to 
accept the office of professor of surgery in the School of ]Medicinc connected with Yale 
College; which office he retained until June, 1877. Sinniltaneously with the assumption of 
professional functions, he commenced the practice of medicine in New Haven, and has 
since pursued it with marked ability and success. His specialty is that of surgery, in 
which his operations have gained such fame for skilfulness that his services are frequently 
called into requisition in different .sections of Connecticut and the adjoining states. He 
ranks among the first half dozen leading physicians of the state, and in his own chosen 
line is practically at the head. Gifted with a steady hand and rare judgment, Dr. Bacon 
has gained his present high position by close .study, and the success he has attained is 
fully deser\'ed. He is an occasional contributor to the medical journals, but confines him- 
self mainly to surgical topics. 

It was but natural that he should be called upon to fill official stations in the various 
societies and corporations with which he is connected. For nearly thirty years he has been 
a director in the Connecticut State Ho.spital, and his counsel is greatly valued. He was 
president of the State ^Medical Society in 1887 and 1888, and was president of the New 
Haven ^Medical Societ\- for the space of three years, and rendered good ser\'ice while in 
that position. Dr. Bacon was one of the organizers of the American Public Health 
Association, and worked efficiently in that society for several \ears. He is a prominent 
member of the American Medical Association, is one of the medical visitors of the Retreat 
for the Insane at Hartford, and has been a member of the Board of Pardons since its 
organization in 1883. 

Francis Bacon was married June 7, 1866, to Miss G. M. Woolsey, daughter of Charles 
W. Woolscv of New York. 



=t^^S?jTENNIS, RODNEY, of Hartford, one of the founders, and secretary during its 
:Iii'M\| entire existence to date, of the Travelers' Insurance Company, was born in 
*^<?^ Ii' Topsfield, Mass., Jan. 14, 1826. His strain of blood, which goes back to the 
^^vri early settlers of New England, has been notable for a persistent union of com- 
bative with strongly religious tendencies; to aspire to the good and to fight 
for the good, according to Cromwell's advice, has been the instinct of each generation. 
The first emigrant ancestor, Thomas, was a soldier in King Philip's War; his grandson, 
a graduate of Harvard, was army chaplain and surgeon for twelve years, 1737-49, iu the 
middle F^rench wars, then a pastor and teacher in New Hampshire and Massachusetts; his 
grandson, Rev. Rodney Gove Dennis, graduate of Bowdoin and Andovcr, was a clergyman 
in Topsfield, and then in Soniers, Conn., — a man of lofty feeling and unbending character; 



114 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 

and the son of the latter was Rodney Dennis, whose life has been no less devoted to the sen-ice 
of righteonsness and moral aspiration than his clerical progenitors, and no less full of militant 
manliness than his soldier ones. 

He was one of ten children, six daughters and four sons; the three other sons died in 
the prime of a youth of extraordinary promise, though from diseases implying no constitutional 
weakness, but four of the sisters are still living. Two of the brothers obtained a liberal 
education, largely through the help of this one; he had one term in a high school, but like 
so many capable bo\'s from the swarming families of old New England, saw no more school 
after the age of fourteen, becoming the stay of the household and farm. At sixteen he came 
to Hartford, in the employ of the late Giirdon Fox at his grocery on Central Row, and for 
five vears did a man's work at a boy's pay, delivering goods by hand, or barrow, or team, 
grooming horses, and whatever else was required. On coming of age in 1847, he chose to 
set up for himself in spite of liberal offers to remain, and in partnership with A. C. I\es, as 
Dennis &. Ives, established a grocery business on South ]\Iain street. He was the first in 
Hartford to introduce the modern "specialties," such as canned and bottled goods, which 
have entirelv transformed the old grocer}- trade. The business flourished well, but in 1849, 
Mr. Ives was attacked with bleeding from the lungs, went away for his health, and never 
returned to work. ]\Ir. Dennis carried it on alone till the winter of 1850-51, when he sprained 
his knee so se\-erel\- as to disable him for several months. On resuming his management, 
he found the business to be so disorganized that re-making it was too gi'eat a struggle, and 
discontinuing- it, he went into the employ in Augusta, Ga., of the great firm of Hand, Williams 
& Wilcox. (The head of this firm was a Connecticut man, the well-known Daniel Hand, 
who was driven out for loyalt)- at the outbreak of secession, received after the war his full 
share of the property — over a million — from the lofty honor of his southern and secession 
partner, ]\Ir. Williams, and has lately given a million to the American Missionary Society.) 
After two years' stay, he came north to Albany, where he remained two years longer, and 
was married in the latter of the two years, 1855; in that year he returned to Hartford and 
took a position in the Phoenix Bank, which he held till 1864, on the starting of business by 
the Travelers. 

Mr. Dennis's known abilit}- and integrity — the latter standing especialh- high from his 
having straitened himself for years to discharge obligations not legally his, and which no 
one but himself considered e\en moral ones — made it natural to solicit his services and the 
weight of his name to establish the new enterprise. He embarked his fortunes in it, and 
devoted his life to it, straining every faculty of mind and body to insure its success ; and here 
the reward of early discipline, self-sacrifice, and the resource developed by business training 
with no one to rel\- on but himself, became manifest. He was the last man in the world to 
have any small pride of place, and his unashamed labor and economy of management were 
prime factors in the companv's permanence. For some time he- was himself the entire force 
of employees, sole cashier, clerk and office boy, and for many years he worked double the 
hours of any clerk, doing detail work early and late, often into the small hours of the morning 
when others were asleep. His severe labor broke down his health at last, and rendered him 
for a short time unfit for office business, but after a short and successful business trip to 
California he at once resumed his desk. 

Through the compan\-'s first months of comparative neglect and public incredulity, its 
short burst of unshared prosperity, its succeeding years of fierce competition and slow mastery 
and sole sur\i\al, its later ones of unapproached eminence, and its still later ones when, 
though it remains greatest and grows greater, the field is once more thick with rivals — he 
has remaiucd its watchful guardian and laborious .ser\-ant, his first care and thought, its success 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. "5 

and its "-ood repute; anxious that it should prosper as the just reward of doing equity, and 
in order to retain tlie power of doiui^ c(iuit\-, but still more anxious that it should do equity. 
To him there is no difference between the moral obli<;alions of a man and a corporation, and 
any seeminj^ sitccess of either is an apple of Sodom if not earned by honest service and based 
on the inunutable laws of God. 

Aside from this crowniui^ business place, he has had a life as a man and citizen which has 
been full of still richer honors and compensations, lh()uj,di less \-isible to the great world, and 
many of them forever invisible and unknown to an)- but himself and the separate actors one 
by one. Public place he has never sought; he has felt that he co\ild not give the time and 
labor needed to 'discharge its duties properly, and he would not discharge them otherwise. 
Nor has he ever co\eted the ostensible headship even of the associations for good works and 
public welfare, of which he has been awheel-horse and fountain of ready service; all that he 
could give or do as an officer, he would equally do as a private member, and he preferred to 
leave the name to others, and he has held such places because the societies wished it for their 
own credit and public advantage, not because he wished it for his own laurels. 

A list of his directorships, trusteeships, and guardianships would create surprise from its 
number and varietv, \et even that would not furnish a living impression of his real place in 
public esteem. Hardlv any business venture has been started that seemed likely to benefit 
the city but he has invested in it, with small reference to personal profit, not from visionary 
cloudiness of judgment, but with a wish to share the duty of citizens in running some risk for 
public service. In purely business directorships, those of the Hartford Trust Company, the 
Overman Wheel Company, the Farmington Power Company, the Hartford Electric Light 
Compan\ , the Connecticut Fire Insurance Compatn-, and the Hartford City Gas Light Company 
ma\- be mentioned, bul his energies have been full\- as nnich gi\en to charitable and humane 
work. 

For fortv years no enterprise, small or great, has been undertaken in Hartford for the 
amelioration of humanity, in which he has not been foremost with purse and time, and, 
hardest of all, sacrifice of the shrinking from doing distasteful things, with everything, 
indeed, but the most plentiful of things in such enterprises — tongue and vanity.. In connection 
with "Father" Hawley, he founded in 1842, the ilorgan Street ^Mission School, the first 
attempt in Connecticut at organized care for and visitation of the poorest classes in the cities, 
and the rescue, protection and instruction of their children ; it was the parent or forerunner 
of all the systematic public charities of the state. The incoming of a large foreign element 
first made this a pressing need. While in Augusta, (ia., he founded a similar institution there, 
and after his return to Hartford he was for twelve years superintendent and teacher of the 
Morgan Street School, and for some years taught an evening school twice a week. He is 
now president of the Hartford Charitable Society, the oldest of its kind in the state. He was 
one of the corporators of the Connecticut Humane Societ)-, and has been its president from 
the first, as well as (what would not follow) a principal director and active laborer, quick to 
anger against any inhumanity either to man or beast, or the neglect of decent duties to 
children or wives. The hundreds of neglected or abused children it has rescued from niin, from 
criminality or proletarianism, and .set on the road to reputable lives, are its sufficient monu- 
ment, and it has been equally active in saving animals from the cruelties perpetrated by the 
brutal, the niggardly, or the thoughtless. 

Mr. Dennis is also vice-president of the .Vmericau Humane Society, and the .\nierican 
Anti-\'ivisection Society, and of the Hartford Young Men's Christian .\ssociation, chairman 
of the board of managers of the famed Insane Retreat, a trustee of the Connecticut Industrial 
School for Girls, a trustee of the Society for Savings, which has as much of disinterested 



ii6 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

public spirit as of business in its conduct, chairman of the finance committee of the Connecticut 
Bible Society, and director of the Tract Society and the American ]^Iissionary Society. He 
was president of the University Extension Society till relieved at his earnest wish. Of his 
trusteeships of private estates of widows and orphans, his guardianships, and his private 
benefactions, not alone in money, but in the far scarcer and more valuable gifts of judicious 
management and chances for self-help, it is the misfortune of a printed notice that it cannot 
tell. They make up the total of a record which is as good a possession for the owner as for 
its beneficiaries, and there could be no higher expression. 

I\Ir. Dennis's domestic life has been one of rare happiness and harmony of taste and char- 
acter. His wife was Miss Clarissa Strong of this citj', from an old New England family which 
has not belied its name. Her only brother, William Strong, recently died in Kenosha, Wis., 
of which city he was at one time mayor. One sister was the wife of Gustavus F. Davis, 
president of the Cit}' Bank of Hartford, and vice-president of the Travelers; another, of 
Charles P. Welles of Hartford ; another, of Hiram W. Warner, a successful New York 
merchant (both dead); the last sister recently died in Kenosha, Wis., the widow of Judge 
Josiah Bond of that cit\', who was a gi'aduate of Trinity College, Hartford, and a classmate of 
Hon. Dwight Pardee. She died in 1888, an irreparable loss of a high-minded, loving, and 
sviiipathetic companion. They had five children, two sons and three daughters. One son 
died earlv; the other, Rodney Strong Dennis, is an expert accountant in New York, in the 
firm of Trenholm, Teele & Dennis; one daughter is the wife of Ralph W. Cutler, president 
of the Hartford Trust Company ; the second, the wife of Thomas Little, Esq., of Philadelphia; 
the voungest is unmarried and resides with her father. 



Wf4 i^y^OCKWOOD, FREDERICK ST. JOHN, of Norwalk, president of the Fairfield 
Countv National Bank and of the Danburv and Norwalk Railroad, was born 




in the city where he now resides Aug. 23, 1825. 

Lockwood is an old English name dating back to the fourteenth century, 

and it has been borne by honorable men who have gained reputation for 
themselves both in war and ci\-il affairs. It is uncertain to which branch of the family 
Robert Lockwood belonged, but it is known that he came from England about 1630 and 
settled in Watertown, ]Mass. In 1646, he removed to Norwalk, Fairfield County, Conn., 
where he died in 1658. His son Ephraim married Mercy Sention (now written St. John), 
and of his children the family line comes down through Eliphalet. He was a deacon in 
the church and was sent to the General Assembly one term. His son Peter was also a 
deacon and was a representative to the Assembly six times. In the fifth generation there 
came a second Eliphalet on the genealogical tree, and he was the first military man of the 
family, being a member in the First Company of Col. Charles Webb's Seventh Connecticut 
Regiment in the Revolutionary War, and later was an assistant commissary of issues. He 
represented Norwalk seven times in the General Assembly. Col. Buckingham St. John 
Lockwood, sixth in descent from the original emigrant, married Polly Esther, daughter of 
William and Man.- Esther (Belden) St. John, and of their six children the subject of this 
sketch was the youngest. 

After passing through the public schools of his native town, young Lockwood was 
fitted for college at the grammar school in New Haven, where he had for fellow scholars 
Timothy Dwight, now president of Yale College, and Augustus Brandegee, who has since 



OF CONNECTICUT, rSdr-rSg^. 117 

attained marked fame as a lawyer. Havino; a muscular frame and a livelv disposition, Mr. 
Lockwood took an active interest in the athletic sports of the day ; especially in boating 
matters. The history of Yale College says of his efforts in this direction: "In August, 
1845, Fred. St. John Lockwood of Norwalk was captain of the 'Augusta,' an eight- 
oared, 38-foot boat, bought for Si 70 by the '49 Club,' clincher built, of red cedar, with 
boxwood ribs, copper fastened. She could beat any boat in the bay." This boat, with 
another brought from Boston by Peter Parker, was the real beginning of what has since 
become the "Yale Navy." Although the boat was far more heavily constructed than the 
racing shells of to-day, the time they made has rarely been beaten by the crack crews of 
this generation. The students of the present year have cause to thank Mr. Lockwood for 
his zeal in aquatic sports. He was graduated in 1849, and received his degree of A. ]\L 
in 1852. 

On the death of his father in 1850, Mr. Lockwood took charge of the ancestral acres 
and became a tiller of the soil for .several years. For a short time he studied law- under 
the direction of Judge Butler, but the intricacies of Blackstone were not to his taste and 
he soon gave up his legal researches. Becoming financially interested in the Union Manu- 
facturing Company, producers of felt cloths, he assumed a share of the management. Dur- 
ing the war period and for a number of years afterward liberal dividends were declared. 
Mr. Lockwood was a director in the Norwalk Mills in the earlier stages of its history, and 
though they manufactured a fine grade of cassimeres, evil times came to the company and 
he was made trustee in bankruptcy and re-organized the company under the title of the 
"Norwalk IMills Company," since which time the company has done a successful business. 

From 1859 to 1862, ^Ir. Lockwood ser\-ed as bank commissioner, being appointed to 
the office by Governor Buckingham. He represented the town of Norvvalk in the lower 
branch of the State Legislature in 1865, and was reelected the following year. At this 
time he presented a bill calling for the uniforming of the Connecticut militia according to 
a given standard. The bill was stoutly opposed by those who could not see advantages to 
be derived, but it was passed triumphantly, and he was made a member of the committee 
to arrange the style and procure unifonns. He was again a member of the Legislature 
from Norsvalk in 1872, and this year he served as chairman of the finance committee. 
Important matters affecting the handling of money came before them. The old usury laws 
were abolished and the rates of interest were equitably fixed ; and all this class of legisla- 
tion was beneficially influenced by iMr. Lockwood's experience and financial ability. 

In 1868, he was elected president of the Fairfield County Bank, and, after it was 
re-organized as the Fairfield County National Bank, he retained the presidency until 1890, 
resigning the ofiice in favor of Hon. James W. Hyatt, late treasurer of the United States. 
This is the second oldest bank in Fairfield County, Conn., and is one of the solid insti- 
tutions of the state. Having previously ser\-ed as director and vice-president, in 1882 he 
was chosen president of the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad, and still retains the office. 
He effected the lease of the road first to the Housatonic Railroad Company and later to the 
New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, and it is now run as a department of the 
latter road. In his early manhood, Mr. Lockwood took a zealous interest in military affairs. 
For five years he was on the staff of Major-General King, and for seven years more he 
ser\ed on the staff of Gen. W. H. Russell as brigade inspector. 

As a legislator, as a manufacturer, as a banker and as railroad manager, Mr. IvOckwood 
has gained an honorable name for him.self, and in each station to which he has been called 
he has more than filled the expectations of his constituents. He has always been a mov- 
ing force in the comnnmity where he resides, and has ever ranged himself on the side of 
right and of good go\ennnent. 
16 



ii8 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Frederick St. John Lockwood was married Feb. 21, 1866, to Carrie, daughter of 
Frederick S. and Nancy (Raymond) Ayres of West Troy, New York. Three children 
have been born to them. Elizabeth, now Mrs. Frank W. Hubbard of Michigan, Frederick 
Ayres, a student at Yale University, class of '94, and Julia Belden, a miss of twelve at 
home. The}- have an elegant house built immediately alongside of the sharp conical hill 
on which General Trvon sat during^ the burning of Norwalk. 




^YLER, ORSAMUS R., ex-commissioner of insurance for the state of Connecticut, 
was born in Torringtou, Conn., Jan. 17, 1840. 

Lieutenant Walter Fyler, the first emigrant of the name, is known to have 
been in Dorchester, Mass., as early as 1635, but from what part of England he 
came, or anything concerning his previous histor\-, it has been impossible to 
ascertain. He removed to Windsor with the colony from Boston, in 1635, his house being 
within the Palisade. That he was a man of much force of character and respected by his 
fellow-citizens is evidenced by the fact that he was deputy to the General Court in 1647, 
and again from i65i to 1663. From Lieutenant Walter, Mr. Fyler's family line is brought 
down through (2) Zerubbabel, (3) Zerubbabel, Jr., (4) Silas and (5) Capt. Stephen Fyler. 
The latter was a soldier in the war for the independence of his country, and took part in 
the siege of New York. 

After the close of the war he was a captain in the militia, and was one of the three 
original Democrats in what is now the town of Torrington. Not being a believer in the 
compulsory mode of supporting the gospel, he joined the Baptist church, and honored his 
profession of religion with a well-ordered life. His son, Harlow Fyler, inherited part of his 
father's homestead, and by purchase added to it until he owned eight hundred acres of land. 
In addition to his large farm and dairy he carried on other successful enterprises, and was a 
man of great energy and business abilit}-, pursuing all honorable methods of obtaining .success. 
He married Sibyl R. Tolles. His death occurred in his eighty-second year. O. R. Fyler 
was the eighth child of this union. 

The district school gave young Fyler his early education, and it was completed at Wes- 
leyan Academy, Wilbraham, r^Iass. When he returned to the paternal home, the stirring 
scenes at the opening of the War of the Rebellion were being enacted, and the patriotic 
spirit of Capt. Stephen Fjder found a fresh exemplification in his grandson. ^Ir. Fyler 
enlisted as a private in the Nineteenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, under Col. Leverett 
W. Wessels, Sept. 11, 1862. The regiment was one of those assigned to the defence of the 
capital of the nation. In December, 1863, the Nineteenth was changed from an infantry to a 
heavy artillery regiment, and was thenceforward known as the Second Heavy Artillery. As the 
numerical strength of a regiment of artillery is greater than that of the infantry, one man 
was selected from each compau)- to be a recruiting officer. Mr. Fyler was chosen from 
his company and did good work in bringing the total number up to 1,800 men. At Camp 
Dutton, Litchfield, he was made color sergeant, and while on recruiting service he received 
a second lieutenant's commission bearing date of Feb. 6, 1864, and, on March 4, was mustered 
as such officer at Gen. R. E. Lee's residence at Arlington Heights. Lieutenant Fyler's 
command joined General Grant's army in May, 1864, and took part in the battles of North 
Anna Ri\er, Cold Harbor, the struggle around Petersburg, Weldon Railroad, and at Winchester, 
under General Sheridan, in September, 1864, where he was wounded in the left leg. Mr. 




\y\i ?J, 



c\ 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 119 

Fvler received a first lieutenant's commission for bravery displaj-ed on the field of battle at 
Winchester. The battle of Cold Harbor was fought June i, 1864. The regiment was 
disposed in three lines, the objective point being the heavy earth-^vorks defended by Long- 
street's veterans. It passed at double-quick to the first line, capturing it, and sending to 
the rear over three hundred prisoners ; forward again at double-cjuick, with intervals of less 
than 100 yards between the battalions, to and through a sti# abattis within twenty yards of 
the enemy's main line, where it met a most destructive fire from both its front and left 
flank. Nothing could withstand the murderous fire that now met them ; further advance 
was impossible. As a result of this conflict 323 of Litchfield County's bravest sons were left 
on the field, 129 of them dead, or mortally wounded ; a record unsurpassed by any regi- 
ment, in)nli or south, in a single battle, during the war. After ^Ir. Fyler's return home it 
was nearly a year before he could engage in business. The effects of his wound were last- 
ing, making him lame for life. 

Mr. Fyler's first business experience was in a flour and grain store, carried on under 
the name of O. R. Fyler & Company, a connection which lasted about two years. In 1866, 
he was appointed by President Andrew Johnson, postmaster of Torrington, and he had the pleas- 
ure of receiving two appointments from President Grant for the same office, one from Presi- 
dent Hayes, and he w-as one of the \'er\- few who received a commission with the signature 
of President Garfield. On the change of the administration his term of oflRce expired in April, 
1885. During the nineteen years he filled the position, the town of Torrington increased 
largely in population, and the needs of the office grew in similar proportions. Facilities were 
added as required, and, when he stepped down, the Torrington office was recognized as one 
of the best managed in the state. It was a long and honorable term to extend over nearly 
a score of years, and to cover the periods of four Presidents, one of them holding the execu- 
tive for two successive terms, and a majority of the citizens of the town united in expressing 
their regret that political exigency demanded a change. 

Fanning operations occupied Mr. Fyler's attention for the next year, and on July i, 1866, 
he was appointed insurance commissioner by Governor Harrison. He was re-appointed by Gov- 
ernor I^unsbury and continued in office by Governor Bitlkeley, holding the position for nearly 
seven years. He entered upon his duties resolved to carry out the requirements of the posi- 
tion without fear or favor. His first official act was to place the Charter Oak Life Insurance 
Company of Hartford in the hands of receivers, and his course was universally conunended. 
The Continental Life Insurance Company was known to be weak, but it had contri\ed to pass 
previous examinations. He probed the matter to the bottom, and discovered a worse state of 
affairs than had been supposed. The company was placed in the hands of competent receivers. 

Mr. Fyler's zeal, coupled with his success, gained him a name in the insurance world 
upon which he could look with great satisfaction. Later he made a systematic examination of 
the strength of all the companies, something which had never been done in but one instance 
before, and paid especial attention to the real estate investments in the We.st. This proved a 
most acceptable feature, as it showed the actual strength of the companies and raised Hartford 
higher than ever in the estimation of the insuring public. He reorganized the business of 
his office on a solid basis and left the affairs of his office in excellent shape for his successor. 

The town of Torrington is indebted to Mr. Fyler for his active efforts in securing a fine 
system of water works. He was the first to call a meeting of the citizens, at which time a 
committee was appointed, consisting of Isaac W. Brooks, Charles F'. Brooker and O. R. Fyler, 
to investigate the subject and report. At a subsequent meeting the same committee was 
appointed to .secure subscriptions and have charge of the w-ork. He was made superintendent 
and all the various works have been erected under his immediate supervision. The water 



I20 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

company started with a capital of $30,000, and has been increased three times to provide for 
the enlargements reqnired, and is now $75,000. The storage capacity of the first basin seems 
exceedingly meagre as compared with that of the present one. From 18,000,000 gallons in 
1878, an increase was made in 1882 to 71,000,000 gallons, and in 1891 this was more than 
doubled by other basins, bringing the total capacity np to 196,000,000 gallons. The five miles 
of pipe at first have risen to eighteen, and the care and responsibility of the company increased 
in like degree. The engineering difficulties to be overcome have been in Mr. Fyler's charge 
from the inception of the company, and that the stock is in demand with none offered for sale, 
is the best test that his efforts have proved a success. 

Fi'om his earliest manhood he has been a strong Republican and an active worker in the 
ranks of that party, casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln while in hospital at 
Winchester, Va., the state having sent commissioners to collect the soldiers' vote. He was a 
delegate to the National Convention at which James G. Blaine was nominated for the presi- 
dency, and is a member of the state central committee. Though he has held his full share 
of the offices of the town, one term in the Legislature of 1866 will cover his official career 
outside of the positions mentioned. As postmaster and insurance commissioner, he was barred 
from holding other stations to which his many friends would gladly have elected him. As a 
soldier, Mr. F}ler brought back from the war a most honorable record, and still carries with 
him a visible remembrance of the "times that tried men's 'souls.'" Let his long, term as 
postmaster bear abundant testimony that his management of the office was acceptable to his 
supporters ; while his sterling and fearless work as insurance commissioner is too fresh in the 
minds of the citizens of the state to need more than a passing mention as to its comprehensive 
efficiency. 

Mr. Fyler married j\Iary E., daughter of David Vaill of Torrington, Dec. 14, 1865. One 
daughter, Gertrude B., was the result of this union. 




GODWIN, JAMES, for nearly thirty years president of the Connecticut Mutual 
Life Insurance Company, Hartford, was born March 2, 1803. After passing 
by five \ears the three score and ten allotted to man, he passed on to his 
reward, I\Iarch 15, 1878, full of honors and sincerely mourned by all his 
contemporaries. 

The family name Goodwin is one which has been, and is to-day, very widely dis- 
tributed, not only over England, but over most of the northern countries of Europe. 
Instances of its occurrence are to be met with in remote antiquity. As far back as 
the fiftli century it is to be met with in Germany, in the forms Gudwin and Godwin. 
It is oljviously a name composed of two elements, about the meaning of which there can 
be little dispute. The word vin^ or etv';/, certainly means a friend, but the question is 
open whether the element Good should be referred to the Gothic theme guda or to another 
theme goda. According as it is combined with the first or second, the meaning of the name 
Goodwin will stand for good friend or God'' s friend. In either case it is a name of honor, 
and tells of a worthy ancestry. In English records the name Goodwin is numerously 
mentioned in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and at the close of the fifteenth 
century there were three considerable families who bore the name of Goodwin known in 
the county of Norfolk, and of assured position in the counties of Suffolk and Essex. 

Ozias Goodwin, the head of the Connecticut family, married Mary, daughter of Robert 
Woodward of Braintree, England. He is known to have been a resident in Hartford in 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 121 

1639. By successive g;enerations the family line comes down through Nathaniel, Ozias and 
Jonathan to James Cioodwin, father of the subject of this sketch. He was a man of promi- 
nence in his day, being an officer in the Governor's Foot Guards, and interested in the 
development of Hartford. He was married March 3, 1799, to Eunice, daughter of Captain 
Ivenmel and Ruth (Woodford) Roberts. Of his three children, James, Jr., was the second. 

The education of the future insurance president was gained in the school of John J. 
White, a popular in.stitution of the times. At the age of sixteen he left the pursuit of 
knowledge to enter the activities of business, becoming a clerk for Joseph Morgan. The 
energy and executive ability which were characteristic of his later years manifested them- 
selves at an early age. Just after attaining his majority, he became proprietor of the 
principal line of mail stages running out of the city. The possil)ilities there were in the 
coming power of railroads, Mr. Goodwin grasped at an early period, and gradually between 
1835 and 1840 he disposed of his stage interests. No act of his life showed greater fore- 
sight and intuition into matters which affect mercantile success. In 1837, he was made a 
director in the Hartford & New Haven Railroad, and it was the successful operations of 
this road which decided his change of business. 

Fire insurance had long been a prominent feature of the business of Hartford, but life 
insurance was an untried experiment. In 1846, a charter was obtained for the Connecticut 
IMutual Life Insurance Company, the j^lan being purely "nuitual," the policy-holders elect- 
ing the ofHcers, and nominally controlling the company. The compau}- organized with Mr. 
Bulkeley as president. Dr. Phelps as secretary and Mr. Ayrault as actuary. The Connecticut 
IMutual wrote 205 policies during the fir.st year of only a few weeks, nearly 3,400 in the 
next two years, 4,243 in 1S49, and 5,589 in 1850 ; its assets increasing meanwhile from 
nothing to $918,406.73. Its financial standing was much solidified by the severe economy 
with which Dr. Phelps had been trained, and which was part of his nature. After 1850 
the compan\- began to decline in new business, until it reached its lowest point in writing 
only 587 policies for 1856; then fortune changed. Gaining regularly, it wi'ote 1,544 policies 
in i860, and 14,161 in 1867. But through all times alike its financial position steadily 
inipro\-ed. Its assets, which had been only $3,760,748 in 1861, rose to $7,225,040 in 1865, 
$27,566,479 in 1870, and to $40,371,939 in 1875. In 1848, Mr. Bulkeley retired from the 
company and was succeeded by Major Goodwin. This able man retained the position until 
1865, when he gave up the presidency (though remaining a director and financial adviser), 
and Dr. Phelps assumed the headship. In 1869, the latter died, and Major Goodwin was 
again called to the presidency, which he retained until his death in 1878. His name is 
intimately connected witl^ the great growth and prosperity of the company, as well as with 
the solid foundation on which it is built. Much of the success of other similar companies 
which came later upon the scene is due to following the principles which he first enunciated 
and then tested. All credit should be gi\en to the pioneer in whatever field he may 
devote his strength. 

Major Goodwin's interests and activities were far from being confined to the insurance 
company he did so much to upbuild. For forty years he was a director in the Hartford 
Fire Insurance Company, and always took a share in moulding its lines of management. 
In the Collins Manufacturing Company, the Hartford Carpet Company, Holyoke Water 
Power Company, the Gatling Gun Company, Connecticut Trust Company, the Hartford 
Fire Insurance Compau}-, and numerous other business enterprises, his influence was felt in 
everything pertaining to their development. He was indeed one of the "directors who 
direct," and it would be well for numerous corporations of the present day if the men 
whose names appear on the board of management took the same personal interest in ever>- 
detail which Major Goodwin always felt in the companies of which he formed a part. 



122 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Being interested in militan' matters, he enlisted at the age of eighteen in the First 
Company of Governor's Horse Guards, and by gradual stages he rose to be major, an office 
he filled from 1829 to 1833. A large number of religious societies and charitable institu- 
tions shared his beneficent interest. He was a trustee of Trinit\- College and a director of 
the Hartford Hospital. A vestryman of Christ Church for sixteen years, his zeal for the 
welfare of the parish was life-long. The higher office of warden he always declined, and 
but for his refusal to serve he would have been vestryman at the time of his death. 

Possessing the full confidence of the community alike in his judgment and in his integ- 
rity, his courage, foresight and self-reliance made him a natural leader. In all the affairs 
with which he was connected, his molding power was felt. Constant usefiilness and 
benevolence marked eveiy portion of his life, and when he passed on to his reward the 
loss was mourned by the state at large. A brief sketch of him in the genealogy of the 
Goodwin family has the following truthful summaiy of character : 

His business career, which was uniuterrupted to the eud, was characterized hy great courage, energy and 
firmness, united with equal wisdom and caution. He had to a remarkable degree the habit of self-reliance in 
all matters of importance. His discernment was keen, and his judgment almost unerring. He was of necessity 
a leader, and in everything in which he took part, however quietly, his shaping hand was manifest. His 
mind was comprehensive in perception, acute in analysis, direct and forcible in operation. His temperament 
was calm, cheerful and almost perfectly equal. Few men have carried more numerous or important trusts, and 
none ever discharged them with more fidelity. He had a simple, pure, deeply affectionate nature, and in all his 
private and social relations was particularly happy. His life was an example of perfect integrity in the faithful 
discharge of the highest responsibilities, and of constant usefulness in the community in which he dwelt. 

James Goodwin was married July 30, 1832, to Lucy, daughter of Joseph and Sally Spen- 
cer IMorgan. He died March 15, 1878, and his wife, who had lived the ideal life of a 
Christian gentlewoman, followed him Sept. 19, 1890. Seven children were born to them, 
of these two are living : James Junius, and Francis. The latter is an ordained priest of the 
Episcopal church, and though not now in charge of a parish, his time is largely devoted to 
church work. Mr. James J., besides holding several positions of trust and responsibility 
has the management of his father's estate in connection with his brother. 




■HITING, CHARLES B., president of the Orient Insurance Company of Hartford, 
Conn., was born in Greenbush, New York, Sept. 3, 1828. He came from New 
England stock, both his parents having been born in New Hampshire. Mr. 
Whiting descended from the Rev. Sanmel Whiting, the first minister of Lynn, 
jNIass., who came to this country in 1636. His wife was Elizabeth St. John, a 
sister of Sir Oliver St. John, who was lord chief justice of England under Cromwell, whose 
cousin he was. Oliver St. John defended John Hampden in the celebrated .ship money case. 
The early days of young Whiting were passed partly in school and partly attending to 
various duties in his father's store. Beginning first in the public schools of his native 
town, his education was completed at a superior boarding school at Williamstown, j\Iass. On 
attaining his majority he left his parental home and entered the employ of the Boston & 
Albany Railroad Company at East Albany, and remained in this position the space of three 
3-ears. The next two years were passed in steamboating with the " People's Line " of Hudson 
River steamers. 

In 1855, Mr. Whiting became infected with the "western fever," so prevalent at the time, 
and located in the town of De Soto, W'is., on the Mississippi River. Here he passed nine years 
of varied experiences as railroad and steamboat agent, postmaster and representative of the 





T^U. 



r/^. 




OF CONNECT/CUT, 1861-1894. 123 

yEtna Insurance Company of Hartford, Conn. Becoming interested in developing the insur- 
ance idea, he formed a connection with the Accidental Insurance Company of New York, and 
removed to that city in 1866. Attracting the favorable attention of the executive committee 
of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, he was offered the position of secretary a few 
months later, and filled all its requirements most satisfactorily until May, 1870. Without 
leaving his chosen sphere of action he made a change in his field of work. At the last named 
date Mr. Whiting became the state agent of the Home Insurance Company for New York, 
and the next decade of his life was spent in faithfully and laboriously advancing the interests 
of that sterling corporation. I'ailing health compelled him finally to resign, greatly to the 
regret of his superiors. A few months of enforced rest intervened, but he could not remain 
idle. His first active service was with the Springfield (Mass.) Fire and Marine Insurance 
Company. This connection was of extremely brief duration. Receiving an unanimous election 
as secretary of the Hartford Fire Insurance Company, he removed to the capital city in October, 
1881. Here he had excellent opportunities for gaining breadth of experience, and he easily 
met all the responsibilities placed upon him. 

Faithfulness and zeal in a subordinate position brought the opportunity to accept a higher 
one. In May, 1886, he was called to the presidency of the Orient Insurance Company, and is 
still engaged in filling the duties of that office. Under Mr. Whiting's management the busi- 
ness of the company has rapidly increased. When he assumed the management, in 1886, the 
premiums were only $500,000, and in 1S93 were $1,500,000. The company is represented in 
nearly every state in the Union, and during its existence has paid nearly $8,000,000 in losses. 

A clear and forcible writer on the subject of insurance, Mr. Whiting has at times con- 
tributed articles to \arious newspapers. He has delivered addresses before the New York 
State Association and the Underwriters' Association of the Northwest. He has also delivered 
two addresses to the Connecticut State Fireman's Association. Mr. Whiting is vice-president 
of the city bank of Hartford, vice-president of the Mather Klectric Company of Manchester, 
Conn., vice-president of the Perkins Lamp Compan\- of Manchester, Conn., a trustee of the 
Holland Trust Company of New York City, and a trustee of the Dime Savings Bank of Hart- 
ford, Conn., and an active memljer of the Connecticut Historical Society, in which he takes 
great interest. Though .somewhat along in years his vigor remains unimpaired, and his 
capacity for work is as great as ever. 

Mr. Whiting married Sarah Elizabeth, daughter of Frederick S. Fairchild of Greenbush, 
N. Y., who is still living. Thov have no children. 



^;^| UNBAR, EDWARD BUTLER, of Bristol, ex-state senator, and a leading 
V'|A\iJ manufacturer of the town, was born in Bristol, Nov. i, 1842. 
'j'r-^l lij Mr. Dunbar comes of a sturdy Pennsylvania stock. Butler Dunbar, the 

'£yyrA founder of this branch of the family, removed from that state about 1S21, and 
settled in Bristol, Conn. Being of an inventive turn of mind, he soon went 
into the clock business, a line of trade with \vhich the verj- atmosphere seemed charged in that 
section of the state. His son, Fxlward L., followed in his footsteps, and established himself 
in the manufacture of clock springs and clock trimmings in 1840, in Bristol. He was the first 
to make a specialty of the production of clock springs from sheet steel, oil-tempered. In 1857, 
with Wallace Barnes, he went into the manufacture of steel springs for hoop skirts, which 
were then coming into fashion. Finding the business profitable, they went into the making 



124 REPRESEXTATIIE MEN 

of the hoop skirts, and established a factory in New York, which was in charge of William F. 
Tompkins, and it was here that Mr. E. B. Dunbar got his first business experience. The 
New York factory was a marked success as long as it was carried on, but a change in prevailing 
fashions caused it to be abandoned. Edward L. Dunbar married Julia, daughter of Joel 
Warner, and of his six children, Edward B. was the second. 

After passing through the common schools of his native town, young Dunbar's education 
recei\-ed its finishing touches at the Williston Seminary, Easthajnpton, Mass. In the spring 
of i860, before he had reached the age of eighteen, he went to New York city to assist Mr. 
Tompkins in his father's factory. Five years later he returned to his old home, where he has 
since been occupied in the manufacture of clock springs and other small springs, under the 
firm name of Dunbar Brothers. This business was established by his father with half a 
dozen hands, the most cnide processes being used, and the production being correspondingly 
limited. By the introduction of the improved machinery of the present time, thirty men can 
turn out from 5,000 to 7,000 clock springs per da\-. In the last decade, the large clock manu- 
facturers ha\^e man}' of them commenced to make their own springs, so the business of the 
firm has changed to a considerable degree. They now" devote themselves to making small 
springs for all kinds of piirposes, and in the course of the year turn out millions. 

Ever since ;\Ir. Dunbar became a voter he has taken an active interest in politics, and 
has been a prominent worker in the ranks of the Democratic party. For over twent\- years 
he has been a member of the Democratic town committee, and for six years served as chair- 
man. He has always been a strong friend to educational interests, as his course in town 
meetings and his public speeches will bear abundant testimony. From the very establishment 
of the high school he has been chairman of the committee, and is also a member of the third 
district school committee. 

!\Ir. Dunbar has held a large number of the official positions within the gift of his fellow 
citizens. He has been grand juror, and for over twenty }'ears has been one of the registrars 
of voters. Always taking great interest in the fire department and the development of its 
efficiency, for the last ten years he has filled the responsible position of chainnan of the Board 
of Fire Commissioners. When he was made chairman the fire department had onl\- hand 
engines, and it was in a large degree owing to his labors that two steam fire engines were 
purchased, and the morale of the department placed on a much higher basis. 

At the State House ]Mr. Dunbar has passed four legislative terms with honor to himself 
and to the great satisfaction of his constituents. He was first sent to the lower branch to 
represent the town of Bristol in 1869, and was returned a second time in 1881, serving on the 
committee on claims. 

His first experience as a member of the Senate was in 1884, and he was reelected in 1886, 
and on both these occasions he ran more than a hundred votes ahead of the state ticket in his 
own town. Being in the minoritj' party, only a small portion of the honors fell to his share, 
the chairmanship of the committee on federal relations and new towns and probate districts, 
made up the list. He has the proud consciousness of knowing that he has ne\er yet been 
placed before the people for their suffrages when he suffered defeat. 

Being a working man himself, Mr. Dunbar possesses a warm sympathy for the working 
classes, and while at the capitol he looked well to their interests. He was one of the most 
earnest adxocates of the weekly payment law, and in fact inaugurated the S3'stem in his own 
factor}' before the law was passed. In 1890, he was mentioned, with others, as a possible 
candidate for congi-essional honors, but he peremptorily declined to allow his name to be used 
in that connection, his business interests requiring his undi\ided attention. 



A 



i%»w 'W* 



J^ 





OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 125 

A share of Mr. Dunbar's time has been devoted to financial institutions. He has been 
a director in the Bristol National Bank since it was organized in 1875, and is a vice-president 
in the Bristol Savings Bank. One of the prime movers in the organization of the Bristol 
Board of Trade, he was chosen vice-president, an office he filled for several years. 

In religious faith Mr. Dunbar follows in the footsteps of his fathers, and is a member of 
the Congregational church of Bristol, and at different times has served as chainnan of the 
society's committee. Not all of his activity in the cause of righteousness has been confined 
to the church of which he forms a prominent part. For the four years from October, 1886, 
to October, iSgo, he ser\'ed as president of the Bristol Young Men's Christian Association, 
auil in this ca])acitv rendered some valuable assistance to the cause of the Master whom he 
professes to serve among the young men of Bristol. In 1892, an effort was made to start a 
public library' in the town, and Mr. Dunbar took hold of the movement with his accustomed 
zeal. He was chosen president of the organization, and did much to place it on the firm 
foundation where it now rests. 

Edward B. Dunbar was married Dec. 23, 1875, to Alice, daughter of Watson Giddings, 
a carriage maker of Bristol. This union has been blessed b\- three children, of whom one 
daughter, Marguerite, and one son, Edward Giddings, are living. ^Ir. Dunbar and his 
family are living in the house built more than half a century ago, and for a time occupied 
by Chauncy Jerome, the famous clock maker. It has been entirely remodelled and ever>' 
modern improvement introduced. 




■ILLIAMS, JAMES BAKER, of Glastonbury, president of the J. B. Williams 
Companv, was born in Lebanon, Conn., Feb. 2, 1818. 

It was the vear noted in the annals of our country as being the starting 
point of a large number of men who were prominent in state and national 
affairs, as well as in the world of mechanics and manufacturing. Six governors 
of Massachusetts were born this year, and Connecticut can claim Gov. Richard D. Hubbard 
(once a schoolmate of Mr. Williams), United States Senator William H. Bamum, and Lieu- 
tenant-Governor James L. Howard. 

The name Williams is very ancient in its origin, and it probably extends throughout the 
English-speaking world. Most of the earliest members of the name were doubtless of Welsh 
extraction. They formed a large portion of the principality of Wales in England, somewhat 
like the O's in Ireland and the Macs in Scotland. Many of the noted men and women of 
England and America have borne this name. 

The first of this family to emigrate to this country was Robert Williams of Norwich, 
England. He settled in Roxbury, Mass., and was made a freeman in 1638. From him the 
family line comes down through (2) Capt. Isaac Williams, his second son, who settled in 
Newton, Mass., and was a deacon of the First Congregational Church in that place, — and (3) 
his son William, who was for fifty-five years the minister of the church in Hatfield, Mass. 
This Rev. William Williams married first Eliza, a daughter of Rev. Seaborn Cotton, whose 
son. Rev. Elisha Williams, was for thirteen years the president of Yale College ; and for a 
second wife he married Christian, a daughter of Rev. Solomon Stoddard, D.D., of Northamp- 
ton, Mass., and a sister of the mother of Jonathan Edwards, D.D. (4) Her son. Rev. 
Solomon Williams, D.D., was pastor of the church in Lebanon, Conn., for fifty-four years. 
He married Mar^-, a daughter of Judge Samuel Porter of Hadley, Mass., and their oldest son, 

17 



126 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Eliphalet Williams, D.D., was pastor of the First Church in East Hartford for fifty-five years; 
and his son, Rev. Solomon Williams of Northampton, j\Iass., was also a pastor in that place 
fifty-five years. 

The second son of Rev. Dr. Solomon Williams of Lebanon was Ezekiel Williams, Esq., 
of Wethersfield, Conn., who was the father of the late Hon. Thomas S. Williams of Hart- 
ford, and for many years the chief justice of the state of Connecticut. His third son was 
Hon. William Williams of Lebanon, Conn., of whom it is said that "for more than ninetv 
sessions he was scarcely absent from his seat in the legislature, except in 1776 and 1777, 
when he was a member of the Continental Congress, and as such signed the Declaration of 
Independence." His fourth son, and in this line the fifth, was Dr. Thomas Williams of 
Lebanon, who married Rebecca Wells, a lineal descendant of Gov. Thomas Wells, and who 
was the mother of the sixth of this line, Solomon Williams, also of Lebanon. He married 
Martha Baker, a daughter of Dr. Joseph Baker of Pomfret, now Brooklyn, Conn. When the 
news of the battle of Lexington reached that place, Gen. Israel Putnam and niany of his 
neighbors started for Boston, and his friend and physician. Dr. Baker, went with them as surgeon 
for the troops of Connecticut. Dr. Baker was at the battle of Bunker Hill, and also at Fort 
Griswold to attend the wounded and dying soldiers after the fight and massacre at that place. 

Mrs. Williams was of Huguenot descent, her mother being a daughter of Rev. Ebenezer 
Devotion, whose ancestors are traced back to prominent families in France about seven hun- 
dred years. Two of her brothers were officers in the United States Army during the war of 
1812, and Col. Rufus L- Baker was connected with the ordnance department as late as 1857. 
The birth-place of Mr. Williams was the house built as a parsonage in 17 10, by Rev. Samuel 
Wells, a kinsman of his grandmother, and in 1722 sold to and occupied by his successor in 
the ministry-, Rev. Dr. Solomon Williams. Here, too, lived Dr. Thomas Williams a life of 
eighty-four years, and here his sou Solomon lived and reared most of his ten children, of 
whom the subject of this sketch was the sixth. This house is still standing, is in good repair, 
and is one of the noted homes in that old and historic town. In this house was formed and 
kept for many years the first circulating librar}- in New England, among whose members were 
President Clapp of Yale College, Joseph Trumbull, the father, and Gov. Jonathan Tnimbrrll, 
his son, who was for many years its secretary-, and was succeeded in that office by Dr. Thomas 
Williams. The catalogue of books, their cost, and the records are still extant. On these 
premises during the winter of 1780 and 1781 a part of a regiment of five hundred French 
hussars, under the command of the Duke de Lauzun, were quartered, and with five other 
regiments from France were reviewed on the town common by General Washington. This 
^•enerable town has furnished the state five governors, for thirty-seven years, and several gov- 
ernors for other states, seven members of Congress for this and other states, and three United 
States senators. 

In the public schools of this old town, of East Hartford and Hartford, supplemented by 
two short terms in the East Hartford Academy, ]\Ir. Williams obtained what was supposed to 
be equivalent to a common-school education. To make up in part the felt deficienc}', after 
entering a store where his time and labor was required for six days and evenings in a week till 
about nine o'clock, he made it his rule to study from nine till eleven at night and to rise at five 
in the morning and study till called to the day's business. This he continued for many- 
years, and the habit thus formed has been a help to him during all his subsequent life. His 
first business experience was behind the counters of a countr}- store at Manchester. At the 
end of four years he secured an interest in the business, under the name of Keeney & 
Williams. Two years later, he engaged in the drug business with his brother, George W. 
Williams (since of Hartford), and they began the manufacture of dniggists' articles in a small 
way, and soon after they added the production of soaps, etc. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-/8(^4. 127 

In 1847, he transferred his bnsiness from Manchester to Glastonbury, and set up manu- 
facturing in what was formerly Hale's grist mill, run by water power. The building was 
twenty-four by forty feet, with attic and cellar. For the first two years Mr. Williams carried 
on his operations alone, but in 1849, he was joined by his brother, William S. Williams, the 
name becoming J. B. Williams & Company. For the first dozen years they manufactured soap, 
inks, blacking, etc., but about i,S6(), all other lines except the first were either sold out or 
dropped, and they have confined themselves wholly to that speciality ever since. 

By always producing a superior article, an excellent reputation was soon gained for 
Williams' soaps, and now, after more than half a centur}- of existence, there is not a cloud upon 
the fair name of the company. By gradual enlargement, the business, which started in the little 
building tweutv-four by forty, has grown until it covers between 60,000 and 80,000 square 
feet of floor space. A walk through the various buildings reveals the fact that the plant is 
supplied with every po.ssible labor-saving appliance, and nothing is omitted which will tend 
to improve the quality of their production. To the average man, the processes required to 
produce a high grade of soap are utterly unknown, but success is only attained by long 
experience combined with an intimate know-ledge of the proper chemicals. The Williams' 
" Yankee Shaving Soap" is a popular article in all parts of the United States and Canada, 
and to their other specialties in 1885, they added the manufacture of " Ivorine," a washing 
powder which has found its way into a numerous array of families. The J. B. Williams 
Compan\- can make the rare claim that it has never lost a customer while he continued business, 
and that, with scarcely if any exception, in no year since it has been in business has it failed 
to make an increase over the preceding one. 

Though Mr. Williams grew up as a near neighbor of Governor Buckingham, and was 
the familiar friend of many of the public men of the state, a couple of terms in the legislature 
will cover his entire official life. While at the capitol he was chairman of the committee on 
engrossed bills, and was a member of the committee on education and other committees of 
lesser note. He has often been solicited to allow his name to be used as a candidate for state 
and town offices, but has invariably declined, except in connection with schools or the 
Ecclesiastical Society and Congregational church of the town, in wdiich last he has held the 
office of deacon for over thirty-five years. His business energies have been practically confined 
to the building tip of the widely known company which bears his name. He is also president 
of The Williams Brothers ^Manufacturing Company of Naubuc, Conn., and vice-president of 
The Vermont Farm Machine Company. 

The " ^Memorial Hi.stor>- of Hartford County" contains the following brief allusion to the 
firm: "This privilege is now owned by The J. B. Williams Company, successors to Messrs. 
James B. & William S. Williams, who established themselves here before 1850, in the manu- 
facture of soaps of all kinds, ink and shoe blacking. Their business is now confined to the 
former articles. Their success consequent upon a career of active, intelligent business, is such 
as greatly to ha\e benefitted tliem.selves, their town, and all good enterprises." 

James B. Williams was married Sept. 24, 1845, to Jenisha ]M., daughter of David and 
Jemsha (Hollister) Hubbard of Glastonbur)-. She died in 1866, and in July, 1869, he married 
Julie E. Hubbard, a younger sister. Mr. Williams has eight living children, of whom six are 
the children of his first wife. 

The J. B. Williams Company, incorporated under the laws of the state, is composed of 
Mr. Williams and his sons, David W. and Samuel H., and of his brother, William S. Williams 
and his sons, George G. and Bernard T. Mr. Williams's second son, James S., is superin- 
tendent of The Williams Brothers Manufacturing Company at Naubuc. The young men in 
business, in society, and in the church are nobly filling the places soon to be vacated by 
their fathers. 




128 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



^^^LSOP, JOSEPH WRIGHT, M. D., of Middletown. Born August, 1838, died 
ij June 24, 1891. The Alsop famih- of Connecticut was practically established 
by Thomas Wandell of Newtown through Richard Alsop, his nephew, whom 
he brought from England when a mere boy, about 1665, and adopted as his 
son and heir. It is said of Mr. Wandell: "That the one act of his life 
which ser\-es to perpetuate his name in local histor}-, was his effort to thwart the burning 
of human beings for witchcraft. He was foreman of the jury which tried Ralph Hall and 
wife, and acquitted them." The great qualities of mind and heart possessed by Wandell 
were impressed upon his young protege and relative, and these have been transmitted un- 
tarnished, through the succeeding generations down to the present time. Richard Alsop 
fell into possession of WandelPs property about the year 1691, and continued "lord of the 
manor" until his death in 1718. Of his three sons, John removed to Esopus on the 
Hudson River, where he became a prominent attorney. Richard Alsop, his son, was 
probablv born at Esopus, and after receiving a thorough mercantile education, he came to 
Middletown about 1750. He was one of the pioneers of the West India trade, in which he 
was remarkably successful and accunuilated a large fortune. There were no established 
insurance companies at this time, and he not only took his own risks but insured vessels 
for others on his private responsibility. He was a man of broad, liberal views, public- 
spirited, and engaged heartily in all works of benevolence. Besides being a leading Jilason 
in his town, he was a member of the state legislature, and also occupied other public 
positions. 

Capt. Joseph Wright Alsop, the eighth child and second son of Richard, was born 
March 2, 1772. The death of his father when he was but four years of age, left him 
dependent on his mother, to whose careful training he was indebted for his success in life. 
He became a sea captain, and re-opened the West India business established by his father 
manv years before. Captain Alsop was a man deserv-edly popular, and proved himself 
a worthv representative of his distinguished predecessors. Joseph W. Alsop, Jr., third child 
of Captain Alsop, was born in Aliddletown, Nov. 22, 1804. At an early age his father 
designed him for commercial pursuits, for which he had a special fondness and ability, 
inherited from his father and grandfather. Following in their footsteps he successfully 
engaged in the West India trade, and also interested himself in the development of rail- 
roads, being the first president of the Ohio and IMississippi Railroad. Like those who had 
preceded him, he was a thorough business man, and a firm friend of the poor and 
unfortunate, for whom it is recorded that he frequently made personal sacrifices. Oct. 25, 
1837, he married Mar\- Alsop, daughter of Francis J. Oliver of Boston, and the subject of 
this sketch was their only child. 

After receiving his primar}- education, Dr. Alsop entered Sheffield Scientific School. In 
i860, deciding to make the medical profession the means of future advancement, he 
engaged in the study of medicine, and in 1861 he was awarded the degi'ee of ]\I. D. from 
the medical department of the University of New York. 

Taking an active interest in public affairs. Dr. Alsop was naturally called upon to 
ser\-e his friends in official stations. In 1873 he was chosen to the lower house of the 
state legislature, this being his first experience as a law maker. He was senator from the 
eighteenth district in 1881, and was returned to the senate from the new twenty-second 
district for the years 1881-82, 1883-84, 1885-86. 

Dr. Alsop was a member of the State Board of Agriculture from 1883 until his death, 
and gave no small share of his time to the work of the board. Everything affecting the 
farmer or his farm found in him a ready helper. 



OF CONNECTICUT, /861-1894. 129 

For ten years he was trustee of the hospital for the insane at Middletown, and for 
lialf a dozen years occupied the same position witli the industrial school for girls, and in 
special fields rendered some eflficient ser\-ice. He was also visitor of the Sheffield Scientific 
School. He was an active friend to the development of all l^cal institutions, and the work 
he gave to their advancement was simply limited by the amount of time at his command. 

In the Democratic State Convention of 1.S90, I3r. Alsop received the nomination for the 
lieutenant-governorship, on the ticket with Hon. Luzon B. Morris. This honor came to 
him without any effort or solicitation on his ])art. When the votes were counted, he had 
an apparent majority of 566. On the assembling of the legislature, the senate and the 
house failed to concur regarding the status of the returns, and, with the single exception of 
the comptroller, no oflficial was declared elected. An anomalous state of affairs prevailed, 
and under the constitution the old officers of two previous terms "held over." In company 
with Mr. Morris, he had begun quo uHirrnnlo proceedings against the existing officers, but 
death ended all his claims to station in this world. 

The death of Dr. Alsop produced a profound sensation of loss in Middletown. Flags 
were displayed at half mast throughout the city, and all places of business were closed 
during the funeral. The solemn ser\-ices were conducted by Bishop Williams, assisted by 
Rev. Dr. Parks, rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity. The interment was in Indian 
Hill Cemeten-. In the course of an article the Hartford Cotirant, a paper opposed to him 
politically, said : 

The news of his death brought a shock to the community where he resided, not alone on account of its 
suddenness, but because he was everybody's friend. Being possessed of large means, his acts of benevolence 
and charity were many, but always bestowed with modesty and lack of ostentation. He kept standing orders 
with the butcher and baker, whereby many poor families were kept from hunger, and yet no one knew of it 
save the parties immediately interested, A gentleman of genial and lovable habit, his advice and judgment 
were often sought. He was especially a valuable member of the board of trustees of the Hospital for Insane, 
and was rarely absent from their meetings. And yet he possessed a degree of firmness which would not 
permit him to swerve from a conviction once settled. Senator .\lsop was a Democrat always, not seeking 
office, but ready to answer his party's call. Yet when the nomination for lieutenant-governor was offered him 
in 1890, he hesitated and accepted with misgivings, fearful that he could not endure the strain of the campaign 
on account of the malady which ended his life, and of the existence of which he had been painfully aware for 
some years. But he thoroughly believed that he was elected lieutenant-governor, and when urged by his 
party friends to preside over the Senate, neglected to do so on account of his physical condition alone. 

The following resolutions were passed by the Senate, after several eulogistic tributes 
setting forth the strong and attractive qualities of his nature, his courage of conviction, his 
courtesy and kindness of heart, and his disinterested devotion to the welfare of others : 

Resolved by the Senate, That the recent death of Lieutenant-Governor Joseph W. .\lsop has filled the 
hearts of the members of the Senate with profound sorrow. 

By this sad event the state has lost a good, useful and patriotic citizen, who by his public service and 
private virtues had won the love and esteem of all who knew him. 

In his death the Senate mourns the loss of one who was for man}' years one of its most honored, able 
and distinguished members. The Senate extends heartfelt sympathy to his bereaved family and relatives in 
this their great affliction. 

In 1869, Dr. Alsop was married to Elizabeth, daughter of H. C. Beach of New York. 
She died in 18S9. Four children, three .sons and one daughter, sur\-ive. 



I30 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



ICKINSON, FRANCIS LEMUEL, :\L D., of Rockville, was born Jan. 29, 1816, 
in Portland, Conn. 

About the i^ddle of the last centnry, David Dickinson came from England 
and settled in Marlboro, Conn., where he was a deacon and prominent in chnrch 
affairs. His son, Deacon David Dickinson, Jr., followed in the footsteps of his 
father. Lemnel, son of David, Jr., married Sarah C. Clark, and the snbject of this sketch 
was their only child. 

Dr. Dickinson's father died in 1819, before the son was a year old, and the mother 
removed to Colchester, Conn., where she afterwards resided. The early scholastic training of 
young Dickinson was obtained in the district schools, and he was fitted for college at the 
Bacon Academy in Colchester. The winter after he was seventeen he taught the district 
school at Rocky Hill, and the two following winters he taught the high school at Vernon. 
The medical profession attracted his attention as the one best suited to his tastes in which 
to attain eminence, as well as pecuniary success. Accordingly he commenced the study of 
the effects of "pills, powders and potions" in the ofhce of Dr. Frederick Morgan of Col- 
chester, and later on he continued his studies with Dr. Alvan Talcott of Vernon, Conn. 
After taking the regular course of lectures at the Yale Medical College he was graduated 
with the degree of M. D. in 1S40. A serious illness interrupted his career after a few months' 
practice at Hampton, Conn., and he was obliged to spend some time with his friends. His 
health being restored. Dr. Dickinson resumed the practice of his profession in Willington, 
where he remained until the summer of 1863, when he transferred his residence to Rockville. 
In this thriving town he has since resided, and by his marked ability and success in the 
treatment of disease has gained a high reputation for himself. He has been connected with 
several notable cases which attracted much attention at the time, but no detailed description 
was written of them, and consequently full credit cannot be given for the skill displayed. 
His standing as a ph\sician is based on the broad ground of his rare skill in the handling 
of intricate cases of \vhate\-er nature he may be called upon to treat. His reputation has 
been earned by half a century spent in the faithful service of humanity. 

Although full)- alive to his responsibilities as a medical practitioner, Dr. Dickinson has 
not denied the calls of his fellow-townsmen, when they have requested him to serve them 
in an official capacity. In 1850, and again in 1857, he represented the town of Willington 
in the state legislature, and after his removal to Rockville, he was again sent to the 
legislature from the town of Vernon for the years 1875 and 1876. During the session of 
1875, he served as chairman of the committee on insurance, it being the fii'st year such a 
committee had been appointed, and naturally various perplexing questions came up for set- 
tlement, and in the latter year he was a member of the committee which superintended the 
erection of the Connecticut state building at the Centennial. 

Receiving the nomination of the Republican part}' for senator in the twenty- first district, 
he accepted and was elected by a handsome majority. In this instance, as well as in 1875, 
when he was the candidate for the lower house, the town had been strongly Democratic, but his 
popularity was siich that he gained the victory for his party each time. His sers'ices were 
so acceptable that he was elected for two following years. While in the senate, he was 
chairman of the committee on education and of the canvassing committee, besides holding 
a membership on several other connnittees. But his constituents were not 3'et done with 
him. In 1880, for special reasons. Dr. Dickinson was urged to stand as a candidate for 
selectman, and finally consented, and was easily elected. Since that time he has positively 
declined to accept political or other office. 



OF CONNECTICUT, r86i-i8<)4. 131 

For over t\vent>- years he has been a director in the First National Bank of Rockville, 
and for half that time he has served as vice-president. Dr. Dickinson has been president of 
the Tolland County Medical Society several times, and takes an active interest in everything 
which pertains to the development of medical science. 

Dr. F. L. Dickinson was married Sept. 28, 1840, to Roxic, dau<;hter of Col. Francis 
McLean, who bnilt the first mill in Rockville, and was practically the fonnder of the place. 
Fonr children have been born to them, of whom three are now livin<,r. His oldest son, 
Francis P., is a farmer, A. P. is selectman of Rockville, and A. T. is in charge of the 
plant of the Rockville Electric Light Company. 




yASE, NEWTON, of Hartford, founder of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Com- 
panv, was born in Canton, Conn., March 12, 1807. Mr. Case had an abund- 
ance of excellent company in starting on the journey of life. Henry W. Long- 
fellow, John G. Whittier, Charles Francis Adams, ^lorton IMcMichael, Prof. 
Louis F. Agassiz, David Dale Owen, William L. Dayton, Hiram Sibley, Ezra 
Cornell and a score of others known to fame ^\■ere born the same year. Having passed 
the fourscore allotted to man, he died Sept. 14, 1S90. 

He came of a sturdy Connecticut ancestry- containing its full share of the pioneer and 
Revolutionarv spirit. ^Ir. Case was a descendant of John Case, a settler in New London, 
in 1656, who removed to Windsor the following year, and afterwards to Simsbury, where 
he died in 1704. He was a member of the General Assembly for several years, and a man of 
prominence in his day. From him", by successive generations, the family line came down 
through Joseph, and Jacob, one of the pioneers of Simsbury, Case's Fanns being named 
after him, to Jesse Case, who was a native of Simsbun,-, and is known to have served in 
the Revolutionary War as a corporal in Capt. John Brown's company in the Thirteenth 
regiment at New York in August and September, 1775. His .son, Jesse Case, Jr., married 
Sarah, daughter of Deacon Elisha Cornish, of West Simsbury, now Canton. Of their ten 
children, the subject of this sketch was the eighth. 

The early life of Mr. Case was spent on his father's farm, receiving a limited educa- 
tion. At the age of twentv-one he came to Hartford, as a writer in the Hartford Couraut 
well said of him, " Bare-handed, with no title to fortune, save what lay in his natural 
ability, a sturd\- physique, habits of industry and economy, an upright character, and a 
common school education." At first his occupation was that of a copper-plate printer. 
On the fiftieth anniversary of his entrance into the printing business, Mr. Case celebrated 
the event by inviting to his home a number of his old friends and employees. Among 
them were all his old partners except three, who were deceased. During the course of 
the evening he told them in a well written paper, the history of his business career, from 
which we quote several paragraphs describing what he tenns, "way marks along the un- 
even pathway of a business life." 

At the age of twenty-one I came to Hartford, having no knowledge of any business except that of 
farming, and obtained a situation to work for my board in a copper-plate printing establishment. .\fter 
beginning to receive wages, I continued to work at the same business for about eighteen months longer. In 
August, 1830, I commenced business on niy own account, associated with Mr. E. 11. Wilcox, and continued 
that connection a little more than one year. I then conducted the same business alone for about two years, 
after which Mr. A. D. Waters was admitted as a partner. W. that time there was a large amount of plate 
printing done in Hartford, a natural outgrowth of the publication of school geographies and atlases. 

In 1835 and 1836 our business was carried on in what was then known as the Mitchell building on 
State street, the site now occupied by the Couraut building. 



132 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

The printing office of J. Hubbard Wells was in the same building. Mr. E. D. Tiffany, with whom I 
had some acquaintance, was the foreman of the office, and from him I learned that the establishment was 
for sale. I think he stated the price and terms, and admitted that he was himself looking for some one to 
go in with him and make the purchase. At that time I had no idea of becoming one of the purchasers, for 
I did not suppose it in my power to raise the necessary monej'. The first serious thought of my attempt- 
ing the partnership came to me as I chanced to awake about three in the morning after our conversation. 
The matter then presented itself so clearly to my mind that I decided upon a plan of action for the coming 
day. The price asked for the printing office was 14,500.00; of this, |i, 500.00 was to be paid in cash, and the 
balance by a satisfactorily endorsed note. Then, bej'ond this, the purchasers were to assume obligations 
incurred by Mr. Wells for new materials amounting to $2,000. On the sixth day of Januar}-, 1836, I made a 
proposition to Mr. Tiffany to enter partnership with him and make the purchase. I had only J700 in cash, 
but was satisfied I could borrow $800 more, and thus make the cash payment of $1,500. On application to 
a friend I also learned that I could obtain the necessary endorsement of $3,000, and with this financial 
equipment, we concluded to embark upon the enterprise. Mr. Tiffany was the practical man in the printing 
department, and I undertook to keep the accounts and look after the finances of the establishment. Mr. 
Waters and myself were mutualh' interested in the copper-plate printing business and also in this new- 
enterprise. Thus the ship was launched and the voyage begun. 

Bv 1837 the firm had paid all their indebtedness btit $1,000, and amid the nnmerons 
financial disasters and failures in all branches of business they were sorely pressed. The money 
was finalh^ rai.sed by loan and their plant saved. In Jannar}', 1838, he severed his connection 
with j\lr. Waters, the latter taking the copper-plate business and Mr. Case the Case, Tiffany & 
Company establishment. At this time they purchased the plant of Mr. Philemon Canfield, who 
was the proprietor of the largest printing house in the city, his foreman, Mr. L. Burnham, 
becoming a partner in the firm. This addition necessitated larger quarters, and the old county 
jail was leased for five years, being purchased at the end of that time. In 1840, they pur- 
chased the stereotype plates of the "Cottage Bible" issued in two volumes, with historical 
and practical comments. The first year they sold nearly ten thousand copies, and down to 
1857 they had disposed of one hundred and fifty thousand sets. 

]\Ir. Burnham died suddenly in 1848, leaving only Mr. Case and Mr. Tiffany. In 1850 
the firm connnenced to do its own binding, and Mr. Edmund Shattuck was given an interest, 
a connection which lasted five years. Three years later Messrs. James Lockwood and Albert 
G. Coolev were admitted to the firm, and, in 1857, Messrs. Tiffany and Cooley both retired, 
leaving Mr. Case with only one partner again to bear the responsibilities of their constantl3' 
increasing business. The services of "a young, capable and energetic man" were needed, 
and Mr. Leverett Brainard was taken into the concern, the name becoming Case, Lockwood 
& Brainard, and this connection remained unbroken until severed by Mr. Case's death. Jan. 
I, 1874, the business was incorporated under special charter from the state as The. Case, Lock- 
wood & Brainard Company. Mr. Case closed his interesting paper with the following 
suggestive words : 

A little less than twent\- years ago, I gave up active service in the company, believing that I was to 
enjoy a period of partial retirement, and be relieved from any very laborious duties. But becoming interested 
in some other enterprises, I found that business cares were still upon me, and so the)' have continued to 
the present ; the mitigating consideration of these continued responsibilities being the firm beliei that under 
the care of a kind Providence, it is "better to wear out than to rust out." A "business man" I must 
expect to remain while health and strength are left me. 

Mr. Case's natural energy and activity of mind found employment in various manu- 
facturing operations, outside of the printing business. He was one of the organizers and 
president of the National Screw Company, a successful corporation which was finally 
merged into the American Screw Company of Providence, R. I. Another enterprise in 
which he was largely interested in later years was the Shelby Iron Works of Shelby, Ala. 
With his money and credit he carried the company throtigh some trying times, but finally 
came out with a profit, selling his stock in 1889 for a round quarter million of dollars. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 133 

At the time of his death, Mr. Case was a director in the Williniantic Linen Company, 
the First National Bank, the Orient Fire Insurance Company and the Charter Oak Bank, 
being one of the founders of the latter. 

In the course of a long article the Hartford Courant said the following kindly words : 

Though Mr. Case was a business man by his calling, commercial interests were not by any means the 
only subjects of his care. He was animated bj- an earnest public spirit : alwaj'S warmly concerned for the 
public welfare. Hartford was the city of his love. He was very pronounced and ardent in his political views 
and full of the sentiment of patriotism. He was a man, too, of a strong and sincere Christian faith, and 
walked in the fear and love of God his whole life through. Religious things engaged his heart in a measure 
answerable to their importance. He was, as is well known, of a decidedly conservative type in his theological 
sympathies. Of his valuation of what he held the true evangelical doctrine he gave indisputable and ample 
truth. He was a trustee of the Hartford Seminary from its foundation and its unfailing frien<l ; while by his 
benefactions to it he has shown his sense of responsibilities attaching to the trust of wealth. Moreover, the 
fact that his chief gifts to it have been to its library (amounting to no less, first and last, than ^150,000) 
is witness to the breadth of his conception of the place that belongs to learning in the due preparation of 
men for the service of the holy ministry. Mr. Case was one of the original members of the .\sylum Hill 
Congregational Church at its organization in 1S65, and by his wise counsel, liberal sup])ort and sincere and 
humble piety has ever been to it an element of strength. He was a person who went his way in life with 
much (juietness, but a near acquaintance with him infallibly discovered that quality of a simple, true, honest 
nature that compels respect and affection. He was a good man, who aimed to serve God in this generation, 
and his earthly days had a fitting close in his tranquil departure. 

]Mr. Case was enthusiastic in carrying on the details of his business, and it was with 
pride that he watched its growth to its present extensive dimensions. He stood at the head 
of the printing and publishing interests of this state. Kind and just as an employer, it 
was usually said that to enter his establishment was to find a position for life. His integrity 
was unquestioned, and at every point where he touched his fellow men he was trusted to 
the fullest degree. A public spirited man, he was ready to lend his aid to worthy enter- 
prises and projects, and was associated with many business institutions, and in the direction 
of banks, insurance and manufacturing companies. 

The sketch of him in the record of the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the Ameri- 
can Revolution has the following correct estimate of his character : 



'& 



He was a genuine New England man, strongly attached to the principles and traditions of his New 
England fathers. He was a true American. His patriotism was staunch and broad. He was proud of his 
Revolutionary ancestry, and used to exhibit with feeling an old musket which his grandfather carried in the 
war — a gun of peculiar make, much shortened of its original dimensions, but still of extraordinary length. 
He was a man of quiet ways, not seeking publicity or preferment. He had an open and pronounced opinion 
as to men and measures, both iu politics and religion, and was conservative in each. He was a Christian 
man as evidenced by his daily life. In his religious views he held strongly to the faith of his fathers; he 
had no room for the theological speculations of these later days, the old faith seemed to him the best. For 
nearly half his life he was a trustee of the Hartford Theological Seminary, and in this connection gave 
bountifully of his means to its support, both by hand and testament. The "Newton Case Library" connected 
with the Seminary, is both a witness to his generosity and a monument to his memory. 

Newton Case was married Dec. 12, 1832, to Lemira B., daughter of Jehiel and Hannah 
L. Hurlburt of Chatham. Mrs. Case died in 1878. During the remaining years of his 
life his only daughter. Miss Ellen M. Case, was his constant companion. Miss Case still 
resides in the elegant parental home at Farmington Avenue. 



i8 



134 



REPRESENTA Til E MEN 




;AILEY, EZRA BREWSTER, secretary, treasurer and manager of the E. Hortoii 
& vSon Company, Windsor Locks, and collector of customs at the port of Hart- 
ford, was born in Franklin, New London County, Conn., INIarch 29, 1841. 

The blood of the sturdiest New England stock flows through his veins. 
His earl\- ancestry on either side of the line represents prominent families in 
both the Puritanic and Revolutionar\- periods of our country's history. They, with their 
descendants, have been distinguished for their physical vigor and intellectual attainments, as 
well as for inflexible integrit}- and patriotism. Through his father, Aaron Bailey, he is a 
descendant of the Baileys of Groton, whose ancestor came fi-om England in the early history 
of the country. His mother, nee Eliza Brewster, descended in direct line from Elder Brewster 
of Mayflower and Plymouth fame, through his eldest son, Jonathan. Mr. Bailey's youth 
was passed on the ancestral farm in Franklin (of which he is now the proprietor), and at 
the district school, his elementary education, which is the basis of all literars' accomplishments, 
was acquired. He was nurtured in the habits of industn,-, and it was here he laid the founda- 
tion of his future success. 

Though still in his minority on the breaking out of the Rebellion in 1861, Mr. Bailey's 
impulses, inherited from a long line of patriotic ancestors, impelled him to enlist at once for 
the defence of his country. He joined Company B of the Twenty-Sixth Connecticut Regiment 
and went into camp Sept. 5, 1862. Prostrated by a severe attack of typhoid fever while iu 
camp, he was taken home early in the following November, but still in a critical condition. 
His recovery was slow and long deferred, but at no time thereafter during the war was he able 
to perform active service, and his patriotic designs were of necessity abandoned. Resuming 
his former duties with his father as soon as he was sufHciently strong to be of assistance, he 
remained at the old homestead until 1867. In that year he removed to Windsor Locks, and 
for the space of a year he carried on a farm, devoting considerable attention to the raising of 
tobacco. In 1868, he was appointed assistant postmaster at Windsor Locks, and in connection 
with this position he held a general agency for various publications sold on subscription by 
canvassers. Making an engagement with W. J. Holland & Company, a large subscription 
book publishing firm of Springfield, Mass., in 1870, he occupied the responsible place of 
supervisor of agencies. While discharging the duties of this position, he travelled extensively, 
visiting nearly every town in the northern states, as well as in Canada and the British 
Provinces. For four years he followed this business, and succeeded in making it profitable. 
Upon the organization of the firm of E. Horton & Son of Windsor Locks on a joint 
stock basis in 1873, he became its secretary and treasurer, and continued in that position for 
three years. The corporate name of the new company was The E. Horton & Son Company, 
and their business was the manufacture of the Horton lathe chuck. This chuck was in^•ented 
by Mr. Eli Horton in 1851, and was the precursor of numerous others which followed in the 
path he marked out. In fact all the lathe chucks offered at the present time are modelled 
after Mr. Horton's original idea, and the nearer they come to his standard the greater has been 
their success. The Horton chuck has borne the test of over forty j-ears service, and its 
popularity is attested by use all over the civilized world. It has been awarded the first prize 
in every case where it has been exhibited in competition with others. 

In the Centennial year he left the company and removed to his farm in Franklin, a 
delightful country place, whose attractions include some of the most romantic spots to be 
found in the state. Here he devoted his time mostly to agricultural pursuits. Four years 
elapsed and there was a change in affairs at Windsor Locks, and he was called to assume 
control of The E. Horton & Son Company, since which time he has held the three offices 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S61-1S94. 135 

as secretary, treasurer, and general manager. In this dozen or more years the business has 
o-rown, under Mr. Bailey's skillful managenienl, to such an extent that eight times as many 
men are employed at the present time as when he took it in charge. Further extensions 
are contemplated in the near future, which will add quite largely to the amount of business. 

Not all of Mr. Bailey's efforts and executive ability have been confined to the corporation 
of which he is the controlling influence. He forms a component part of various other 
extensive business enterprises. Intimately concerned in the establishment of the Windsor 
l/ocks Electric Lighting Company, he was one of the incorporators, and is now president 
and a member of the board. He is a director in the Windsor Locks Savings Bank, and also 
in the Connecticut River Company, an important corporation which owns the Enfield and 
Windsor Locks water power, and furnishes water for all the mills at Windsor Locks, and he 
holds the same relations with the Dwight Slate Machine Company of Hartford, manufacturers 
of fine machiuerv. A prominent promoter and one of the original incorporators, he is a 
director in the Windsor Locks Water Company, which supplies the village with water for 
domestic purposes. When the J. K. Montgomery Company of Windsor Locks was re-organ- 
ized in 1891 as a joint stock corporation, with a large capital, he was made a member of the 
board of directors. This company manufactures warps and novelty yarns, and stands at the 
head of all enterprises of its class in the country. He is also a member of the Hartford Board 
of Trade. 

Dating back to the earlier years of the existence of the party, Mr. Bailey has been an 
ardent and active Republican, and as such has been elected to various positions of public trust. 
In 1879, he was elected representative to the state legislature for the town of Franklin, being 
awarded the largest majority any candidate ever received from that town. After his return 
to Windsor Locks he was again elected to the legislature, carrying the town by a majority of 
thirteen, though naturally it is a Democratic stronghold. Serving on the committee on 
incorporations in the session of 1883, he rendered essential assistance in the organization of 
the Windsor Locks and Warehouse Point Bridge Company. Four years later he was given 
additional honors by his constituents, being elected state senator, running ahead of his ticket 
in seven towns in the district. As chairman of the committee on education and of the fisheries 
committee, he was enabled to carry through several important measures. In the senate he 
was active and prominent in support of the movement giving towns the control and manage- 
ment of school district affairs. His efforts in this direction were so marked as to give him 
much favorable attention among the friends of education all over the state. 

Reports of his solid business capacities and faithfulness in subordinate offices had been 
carried to Washington. In 1890, Mr. Bailey received the appointment from President 
Harrison as United States collector of customs for the port of Hartford. Speaking of the 
matter, that sterling Connecticut journal, the Hartford CotiranL said: "The President on 
Saturday nominated the Hon. Ezra B. Bailey to be collector of customs for the Hartford 
district. Mr. Bailey is an excellent representative of the Connecticut citizen, born in the 
back country, brought up on a farm, sub.sequently trained in business, and always equal to 
his opportunity whenever it comes. He has been successful in whatever he has undertaken, 
and has come to occupy an important position in politics and business and social affairs. 
He brings to the office of collector integrity and business ability, and his personal 
qualifications that have brought success elsewhere, and he will undoubtedly prove an 
efficient officer. He was cordialh- endorsed for the position by both Senator Hawley and 
Congressman Simonds, and his appointment has been for some time very generally 
expected. His many friends will be glad to hear of his good fortune." His administration 
of the duties of the office has proved the truth of all the good words previously said of 
his character. 



136 REPRESEXTATIl'E MEN 

Wr. Bailey's social tastes and instincts are strong, and in all the activities of the 
varions organizations with which he is connected he engages with enthusiasm. His connec- 
tions inclnde a membership in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, in the 
Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and of various other societies, 
etc. In the Masonic fraternity, Mr. Baile\- has attained high honors. He is a member of 
Euclid Lodge, No. 30, of Windsor Locks, of Washington Chapter, No. 30, R. A. M., of 
Suffield, Washington Commandery, No. i, K. T., stationed at Hartford, and of Pyramid 
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Bridgeport. 

Success seems to be the natural conclusion of all Mr. Bailey's undertakings. He has 
made the E. Horton & Son Company the leading concern in its special line, and his judg- 
ment of business matters is such that he has materiallv assisted other corporations in which 
he is interested to success. Now in the prime of his mature manhood, he occupies an im- 
portant and influential place in the business, political and social affairs of the state. 

Ezra B. Bailej^ was married Dec. 14, 1871, to Katie E., daughter of Eli and Katherine 
(Ellsworth) Horton, a mention of whom has been made previously. The Hortons of Wind- 
sor Locks represent one of the oldest and best of New England families, which, since colonial 
times, has contributed numerous distinguished names to the country's service and history. Miss 
Horton was a descendant in the eighth generation, from John Alden and Priscilla (Mullens) 
Alden, prominent characters in the story of the Puritans. Thus in the present generation 
are mingled several strains of ancient English blood which have separately quickened some 
of the best specimens of American manhood. The issue of this marriage are Philip Horton 
Bailey, now approaching his majority, and who is a student at Yale University, New Haven, and 
Helena Ellsworth Bailey, now in school at the Connecticut Literary Institute in Suffield, Conn. 




;OODRUFF, GEORGE MORRIS, of Litchfield, for twenty years railroad com- 
missioner of the state of Connecticut, was born in the town where he now 
resides, IMarch 3, 1836. Like most of the men who can trace their genealogi- 
cal line back to the early days of Connecticut, Mr. Woodruff comes of that 
sturdy English stock which did so much to make the state "the land of 
steady habits." Matthew Woodruff, the first of the family in this country, came from Surrey- 
County, England, and was among the early settlers of Hartford, and he subsequently removed 
to Farmington. His son Nathaniel came to Litchfield soon after its first settlement, he having 
purchased one sixtieth of the township on the 8th of August, 1721. Jacob, son of Nathaniel, 
born in Farmington in 1717, came to Litchfield with his father and became one of the leading- 
men of the town, and was a volunteer soldier in the Revolutionary War, as was also his son, 
James Woodruff. Morris Woodruff, son of James, was a representative man in Litchfield, 
and actively interested in the military affairs of the state, having been commissioned as a 
captain, by Gov. Jonathan Trumbull (Brother Jonathan) in 1809 ; as major, bj' Gov. Roger 
Wolcott, in 1812; as colonel, by Gov. John Cotton Smith, in 1816; as brigadier-general, in 
1818, and as major-general in 1824, both by Gov. Oliver Wolcott ; he was for man}- \-ears 
a representative in the general assembly and an associate judge of the county court, though 
not a lawyer. 

George C. W'oodrnff, son of Morris, was born in 1805 and graduated at Yale in 1825, 
studied law in the famous law school of Judge Gould, and was admitted to the bar of Litch- 
field County in 1827. From the first he took a leading position, gradually rising till he 





'-^O 



^m i4^o^o<^L 




i 



OF CO.VX/iCriCUT, fS6r-rS94. 137 

became its acknowledged head. Of scnipulous integrity, nnwavering faithfulness and unweary- 
ing zeal, he was entrusted by his fellow-citizens with almost ever)- official duty which could 
be placed upon him, from local town office to member of Congress. In 1873, he was elected 
bv the State Senate a judge of the superior court, but the selection was not concurred in by 
the House. Earlv in life he married Henrietta S. Seymour, a granddaughter of Major 
Moses Sevinour, a soldier of the Revolution, and a sister of the late Chief Justice Origen S. 
Seymour of Connecticut. Their only son, and only child who survived infancy, is George 
M. Woodniff. 

The early education of young Woodruff was obtained in the local schools, and he was 
fitted for college at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass. Entering Yale College, he was 
graduated in the class of 1857. The legal profession being suited to his tastes and adapted 
to his l)ent of mind, he at once commenced the study of law in the Harvard Law School, 
Cambridge, Mass. In 1859, he was admitted to the bar of Litchfield County and began 
practice in his native town, where he has since remained. 

Mr. Woodruff was elected town treasurer in i860, and by successive elections has filled 
that responsible office to the present time ; and his long term of service is simply an expres- 
sion of the esteem in which he is held by his fellow-citizens. He represented Litchfield in 
the lower branch of the State Legislature in 1863, and again in 1865, serving each year on 
the judician- committee. In 1872, he was again sent to the state capitol as a representative 
of the town, being chairman of the committee on claims, and took an active part in the 
legislation of the session. Another office Mr. Woodruff has held for a quarter of a century, 
and which is by no means a sinecure, is that of judge of probate for the district of Litchfield. 
With the exception of one term he has held this position continuously since 1868. In 1S63, 
he was commissioner for Connecticut to the Universal Exposition at Hamburg, it being 
among the first of that line of international exhibitions which culminated in the World's 
Fair at Chicago. From 1865 to 1877, he was a member of the state board of education, 
when, owing to press of other duties, he resigned the appointment, .\lways a zealous advo- 
cate of popular education, in the agitation for its improvement he rendered excellent ser\-ice, 
his counsel being of the most practical nature. 

From his youth a member of the Congregational Church in Litchfield, and for nearly 
thirty years superintendent of its Sunday School, his means and services have been devoted 
to its prosperity. 

In all the positions mentioned, Mr. Woodruff has gained an honorable name for himsdf, 
and for his faithful work deserves to be remembered by the citizens of Connecticut. But it 
is not upon his reputation as a lawyer, or as a legislator or as a judge, however clean the 
record may be, that his name will be handed down to posterity. It will rest upon his labor 
for a score of years as railroad commissioner of the state of Connecticut. i\o\. Charles R. 
Ingersoll appointed him a member of the board of railroad commissioners in 1874, and by 
subsequent appointments he has continued in that capacity up to the present time. Gov- 
ernors R. D. Hubbard, diaries B. Andrews, T. M. Waller, H. B. Harrison, Morgan G. 
Bulkeley and Luzon B. Morris have deemed it for the best interests of the state to retain him 
in office. As these comprise four Democratic and three Republican administrations, it ^\^ll be 
seen that merit and not political influence accounts for his long continuance in so important 
and oftentimes trying position. Since his second year of service, Mr. Woodruff has been 
chairman of the board, and as the legal member the writing of the opinions falls to his lot. 
In this score of years an extended list of knotty points have come up for settlement, and the 
decisions of this board have rarely been set aside. .\ good general lawyer before he was 
made railroad commissioner, he has gained with the passing years a most intimate knowledge 



1 38 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

of the law pertaining to railroads, and is now so expert in such matters that his counsel is 
often sought by the leading law\'ers of the state. Besides his work as commissioner, he has 
also served as a member of special committees on railroad affairs. 

Financial institutions have claimed a share of Mr. Woodruff's attention. He is now, and 
since 1885 has been president of the Litchfield Savings Society, and treasurer of the Litchfield 
Mutual Insurance Company. Faithfulness in the performance of duty and the conscientious 
carr\-ing out of every trust imposed upon him are among his most prominent characteristics. 
Wherever he has been placed he has never disappointed those who elected or appointed him, 
and he can take a just pride in looking back over the honorable record of the past. On the 
under side of three .score, he has many years of usefulness to his native town and in the broader 
field of the state still opening out before him. 

George ]\L Woodruff was married June 13, i860, to Elizabeth F., daughter of James B. 
Parsons, Esq., of Flushing, Long Island. Three children have been born to them : George 
C, a graduate of Amherst and the Union Theological Seminary, now a clergyman in charge 
of Faith Mission Church, Washington, D. C; Eliza P., who has become Mrs. Alex. McNiell, 
and James Parsons, who graduated at Amherst in 1891, and at Yale Law School in 1893, and 
after taking a post-graduate course is now a practicing lawyer in Litchfield, and is following 
in the footsteps of his father. 



'P^'ff^iNN, HENRY, of Winsted, president of the Hurlburt National Bank and of other 
fel'~<v'C2£ii leading corporations, was born in Salisbury, April 5, 1834. 

\^T,'k'/-\ i Like manv other men who have made their mark in Connecticut affairs, 

Qs.^^ J iVIr. Gay comes of a sturdy ^lassachusetts stock. John Gay, the first of the 

" ' name, crossed the ocean in the ship " Mary and John" in 1630, and was one of 

the original nineteen settlers of Dedham in 1635. Second in the family line is Samuel Gay, 
who was selectman of Dedham, and then came a second John, who married Mary Fisher, and 
their son John was born in Dedham in 1699, and nio\-ed to Litchfield, though he was not one of 
the first settlers. John, Jr., was selectman twice, and lived to the good old age of ninety-four. 
In the fifth generation was Perez Gay, who married Margaret Fairbanks, and became the 
father of eleven children. The sixth generation was Edward Gay, and his son Henry San- 
ford Gay, married Mary, only daughter of Stephen Reed of Salisbury, and of their four 
children the subject of this sketch was the j-oungest. 

At the age of fourteen, Mr. Gay entered the store of Robert B. Mitchell of Salisbury 
as clerk, and remained in his emplov for four vears, gaining a fair knowledge of business 
transactions. His first experience in banking was with the Iron Bank at Falls Milage, where 
he remained two years. In 1854, he transferred his residence to Winsted, where he has since 
resided. His first connection here was with the old Winsted Bank, organized on a state basis; 
later he was made cashier, and at the end of ten years, in 1864, having proved himself in 
every way fitted for the office, he was made president of the bank. Three years afterward 
the affairs of the bank were wound tip and the stockholders paid in full. 

Mr. Gay then formed a private banking firm with W. L. Gilbert, under the name of 
Gilbert & Gay, a connection which lasted until 1890. In 1874, Mr. Gilbert was elected 
president of the Hurlburt National Bank, and Mr. Gay accepted a position as cashier, and 
on the death of Mr. Gilbert in 1890, he succeeded to the presidency, and is now successfully 
managing the concerns of the bank. While officers of the bank they continued their private 
loan business, and at that time the firm had a capital of ,$200,000, with a surplus of over 
$100,000, and a profit and loss account of $30,000. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 139 

The management of financial interests lias claimed a large part of Mr. Gay's attention, 
still he has found time to assist in building up the material welfare of Winsted. He is 
a director and also president of the Winsted Edge Tool Company, of the New England 
Knitting Company, and of the Winsted Optical Company. He also holds a directorship in 
in the Wm. L. Gilbert Company, the George Dudley & Son Company, the T. C. Rich- 
ards Hardware Company, the Clifton Hosiery Company, the Winsted Hosier)- Company, the 
Winsted Shoe Company, the Morgan Silver Plate Company, the IMusic Hall Company and 
the Winsted Savings Bank. 

Men of i\Ir. Ga>-'s business and executive ability nuist expect to be called upon to 
serve their fellow-citizens in an official capacity. Besides holding various other offices, he 
was treasurer of the town of Winsted for a dozen years. His Winsted constituents have 
sent him to the state legislature six different times: in 1875, 1876, 1877, 1879, 1885 and again 
in 1889. He was chairman of the finance committee one year, and a member of this com- 
mittee for three other sessions. He was chairman of the state's prison committee the year 
the addition was made to the prison, and it was also the last year the prisoners were 
allowed to come before the committee, and both these facts together gave the committee a 
year of exceedingly hard work. In 1892, Mr. Gay was the Republican candidate for state 
treasurer, but though he ran ahead of his ticket, it was not a good year for the Republi- 
cans, and he failed of election, and the state lost the ser\aces of an honest and competent 
man. 

In Winsted, where Mr. Gay is best known, he is most highly honored, and in all 
matters pertaining to the development of the town his advice is sought and valued on 
account of the long practical experience behind it. Having just reached three score, and in 
the full possession of all the strength of his later manhood, Mr. Gay has yet many years 
of usefulness stretching out before him. 

Henn,' Ga^' was married May 20, 1857, to Charlotte E., daughter of Deacon Thomas 
Watson of Winsted. One daughter, Mary W., came to bless the home. She is now the 
wife of Dr. E. L. Pratt of West Winsted, and is the mother of one son, named for his 
grandfather. 




fINGSBURV, FREDERICK JOHN, of Waterbury, president of the Citizens' 
National Bank, and of the Scovill Manufacturing Company, was born in 
Waterbury, Jan. i, i82'3. 

From the Diograpliy of Conuccticitt it is learned that he descends 
from the old Puritan settlers of Massachusetts, his ancestor being Henry 
KingsbuTA-, a native of England, who came to Boston with Governor Winthrop in 1630. 
This ancestor settled first at Ipswich, whence he removed to Haverhill, where he died. 
His son Joseph, a man of family, removed, from Haverhill to Norwich, Conn., in 1708. 
Accompanying the latter was his son, Joseph Kingsbury-, Jr., a native of Haverhill, who 
had married, before leaving that place, Ruth, daughter of John Denison of Ipswich. A 
grandson of this couple, John Kingsbury- by name, was graduated at Yale College in 17S6. 
He settled at Waterbury as a teacher, but afterwards studied law, was admitted to practice 
and rose to distinction at the bar. He was one of the judges of the New Haven county 
court for many years. He also sat upon the probate bench of the district of Waterbur>-, 
for thirty years. By his wife, ^larcia Bronson, daughter of Deacon Stephen Bronson of 
Waterbury, and a descendant through a long line of deacons of one of the first settlers of 



I40 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

that town, he was the father of several children, one of whom, Charles Denison Kingsbury, 
born at Waterbury in the last century, died there on Jan. i6, 1890, at the great age of 
ninety-five years. Charles Denison Kingsbury married Eliza, the daughter of Dr. Frederick 
Leavenworth of Waterbury and great-granddaughter of the Rev. ]Mark Leavenworth, pastor 
of the first Congregational Church of Waterbury from 1739 to 1797. 

Frederick John Kingsbury, the subject of this biographical sketch, was the eldest child 
of this union. Educated primarily in the local schools at Waterbur)- and in part by his 
maternal uncle, the Rev. Abner Johnson Leavenworth, a distinguished educator, then resid- 
ing in Virginia, with whom, first at Warrenton and afterwards at Petersburg, he spent a 
year or two of his youth, he prepared for college under Seth Fuller at Waterbury. In 1842, 
he matriculated at Yale College, and, after being graduated there in 1S46, entered the Yale 
Law School, where he enjoyed tlie advantage of instruction iinder the late Chief Justice 
Storrs of Connecticut and the Hon. Isaac H. Townsend, who were then in charge of the 
latter institution. Late in 1847 he went to Boston and finished his preparatory legal 
studies in the office of the Hon. Chas. G. Loring; and in March, 1848, he was admitted to 
the bar in that cit\-. For family reasons, the chief being the ill-health of his mother, he 
returned to Connecticut before the close of 1848. For several months he held a responsible 
clerkship in the office of the Hon. Thos. C. Perkins of Hartford, but in the spring of 1849 
he opened law ofHces of his own at Waterbury. 

Commended by his personal worth and attainments, as well as by his acti\-e interest iu 
public affairs, he was chosen in 1850 by the people of Waterbun,- to represent that town in 
the Connecticut House of Representatives. While ser\-ing this term in the legislature his 
attention was drawn to the subject of banks for savings, and believing that the time was 
opportune for founding an institution of this class in Waterbur)-, which was then attaining 
prominence as a manufacturing centre, he laid the matter before a number of his influential 
townsmen. Their approval of the project being obtained, he secured the necessary charter 
and in the latter part of 1850 organized the Waterbury Savings Bank, of which he was 
chosen treasurer. This office he still fills, and the marked success of the institution of 
which he has all these years been practically the administrative head, is universally admitted 
to be due chiefly to his unwearied de\'otiou to its interests and his correct methods of in- 
vestment. Taking a further step in the business of banking, ^Ir. Kingsbury organized, in 
1853, the Citizens' Bank of Waterbury. His esteemed associate in this enterprise was the 
late j\lr. Abram Ives, who was the first president of the bank and whom Mr. Kingsbury 
succeeded in 1868. This institution, of which Mr. Kingsbury is still the executive head, 
was re-organized under the national banking law in 1865. It has a capital of $300,000 and 
is one of the most flourishing banks in the state. 

Reelected to the state legislature in 1858 and again in 1865, Mr. Kingsbury served 
during both terms as chairman of the committee on banks, and during the last term was 
also a member of the committee on the revision of the statutes. In 1876, he filled the 
honorable position of commissioner of the state of Connecticut to the International Centennial 
Exhibition at Philadelphia. In that year also he was offered the Republican nomination for 
governor of Connecticut. The great extent of his business interests at the time obliged 
him to decline this high honor, but yielding to the solicitation of man}- party friends he 
consented to accept the nomination for lieutenant-governor, the Hon. Henry C. Robinson 
of Hartford having accepted the first place on the ticket, which, however, was defeated. 

Besides the two bank positions he holds ]\Ir. Kingsbury- has, since 1868, been the 
president of the Scovill Manufacturing Company, which under his administration has steadily 
ad\-anced to the front rank among the manufacturing corporations of Connecticut. The dis- 




(^.^^i^^Z.'i^J^ ^cZt^c^/?^^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. . 141 

cliart^e of his official duties in connection with the several corporations named necessarily 
makes hea\v demands upon his time, but he always finds sufificient leisure to take a help- 
ful part in movements or projects which contain even a promise of public advantage or of 
material or moral benefit to his native state or city. Many such movements have been 
greatly indebted to his personal aid and influence, and few have failed to derive some ad- 
vantages when his broad culture, excellent judgment and large experience have been called 
to their assistance. A local institution in which he is deeply interested is the Rronson 
Library- of Waterbur\- ; and as a member of its managing board, the chairman of its library 
couunittee and its treasurer for nearly a quarter of a century, he has been most active in 
maintaining its representative character and advancing its material welfare. 

In the business and financial world Mr. Kingsbury is respected as a man of great 
ability, strict integrity and honorable purpose. His success, both as a banker and manu- 
facturer, has been achieved by reputable means, and the fortune of which he is the master 
lias been acquired by legitimate methods. While his cares and responsibilities have been 
many and constant they ha\e never been allowed to extinguish his scholarly tastes, which 
have been nourished by the cultivation of historical and philosophical study and by frequent 
literary effort. A number of interesting articles from his pen have been published in lead- 
ing American magazines and indicate that this author is the possessor of a well-stored mind, 
sound reasoning faculties and an unusually felicitous style. Mr. Kingsbury lias been happily 
called "a conspicuous representative of the best American culture, illustrating the practica- 
bility of combining an intelligent interest in literature, art and science with fidelitv to 
important business trusts and to constantly accumulating duties." He is widely known in 
the best social circles of the state as a gentleman of high character, cultivated intellect and 
generous impulses, and is universally respected as one whose aims, both public and private, 
have always been pure and commendable and whose example is rich in encouragement to 
all who strive for success with honor. 

Mr. Kingsbury married, on April 29, 1851, Miss Alathea Ruth Scovill, eldest daughter 
of the late William H. Scovill of Waterbuiy, and great-granddaughter of the Rev. James 
Scovill, who was graduated at Yale College in 1757, took holy orders in England, and 
returning to America as a missionary of the venerable society for the propagation of the 
gospel, became the first rector of the Episcopal Church in Waterbury. 




^lALLUP, DA\'ID, was born in Sterling, Conn., July 11, 1808. In early life 
his father died, leaving a widow and three boys and two girls. John Gallup, 
fonnerly cashier of the Brooklyn (Conn.) bank, was the oldest son. Judge 
Gallup was the second son, and Hon. Amos Gallup was the third son. One 
si.ster, Ruby Gallup, married Charles G. Williams, Esq., of Brooklyn, Conn., 
and is living at this writing. The other sister, Esther, married Dr. Henr^- Campbell of 
Sterling, Conn. She and her husband died many years ago. 

The judge followed the career of the typical and successful New England boy ; worked 
on a farm, taught school, married and settled down, and later on engaged in politics and 
rendered valuable service in his town, county and state. He married Julia A. Woodward, 
daughter of Capt. Lemuel Woodward, a leading citizen of Plainfield, in 1S34. He then located 
in Plainfield where he constantly resided until 1865, after which time with his family he spent 
apportion of each year in Hartford, Conn., though retaining his legal residence in Plainfield. 

»9 



142 REPRESENTATUE MEN 

The judge early became interested in town affairs, and largely through his sound and 
firm management the town of Plainfield kept clear of debt and vexatious entanglements. 
Never during the period of the war did it allow a debt to accumulate, although ever)- require- 
ment of the town was promptly and abundantly furnished, and at all times ever\' public 
interest, the welfare of the schools, internal improvements and the common prosperit}' were 
carefull)- guarded and cherished. He was for twent}--three }-ears judge of probate for the 
Plainfield district, and administered with great fairness and justice the business of the office, 
and being entirely familiar with the circumstances of the various estates he settled, he rendered 
ver\- valuable aid to all concerned. 

Judge Gallup represented Plainfield in the lower house of the general assembly in the 
years 1841, 1S50, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866 and 1867; was speaker of the house in 1866, 
was senator in 1869, and was elected lieutenant-governor in 1880, and for two years was 
president of the senate. The five consecutive years of his legislative service were during the 
war period and the year following, and in this time he served prominently on the finance 
committee, being conspicuously the author of the financial system which furnished means to 
carry Connecticut successfully through the war crisis. This service was exceedingly valuable. 
It was to him also that credit is largely due for legislation in 1877 giving equal protection 
to the propert}' rights of married women. For these sendees, in connection with his strong 
help in Eastern Connecticut in supplying pecuniary aid to equip soldiers during the war, by 
advancing money in their behalf for their families, as well as supplying money to towns, he 
is entitled to honorable remembrance. His legislative action was highly useful to the state, 
as it was influential in the highest degree. 

Judge Gallup was prudent in business affairs, and was successful in his man\- enterprises. 
He made no publication of his benefactions, yet he was exceedingly kind to deserving men 
wdio needed assistance, and his generosities were far greater than was ever known. He was 
interested in many of the largest business concerns in the state, in banking and other affairs, 
and left a large property. His wife, Mrs. Gallup, who survived him, died in November, 1884. 
He had two children who died before the judge. One was a son, William W., a young man 
of much promise, who died in 1869, and the other was a daughter, Julia Ella, who was the 
wife of Lieutenant-Governor George G. Sumner. Judge Gallup died at the United States 
Hotel at Hartford, Aug. 18, 1883. He and his family are buried in the Cedar Hill Cemetery 
in the latter citv. 



E^f=?;:^ROSS, CHARLES EDWARD, of Hartford, senior member of the firm of Gross, 
i!/A '-ii;| Hyde & Shipman, leading lawyers of the city, was born in Hartford, Aug. 18, 

il!^ 0^-su3 \ The family line can be traced in direct succession to Isaac Gross, who 

emigrated from England and settled in Boston previous to 1650. From him 
the line comes down through three Massachusetts branches and through (5) Freeman, (6) 
Thomas, (7) Thomas Freeman, to (8) j\Iason, who was born in Litchfield in 1809. At the 
age of seventeen he came to Hartford, and entering business life he became a successful 
wool merchant. Taking an interest in military matters, for several years he served as captain 
of the Light Infantry. He married Cornelia, daughter of John Barnard, Jr., of Hartford, 
and of their six children, the subject of this sketch was the youngest. Mrs. Cornelia Gross 
was the granddaiighter of Capt. John Barnard, who was a soldier in the early French wars; 
he fought sturdily through the entire struggle for American independence, was present at the 
surrender of Cornwallis, and lived to be one of the founders of the Society of the Cincinnati. 





incri'^L^ 



( 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 143 

In the collateral branches of the family tree may be mentioned Gov. Richard Treat, 
Lieutenant-Governor Webster, the Wolcott family, and Capt. Joseph Wadsworth of charter 
hiding fame. It is a singular fact that, with barely one e.xception for ten generations or 
more, all of the ancestors of Mr. Charles E. (iross, and also of his wife, were born either in 
Old England or New England. 

The early education of Charles Edward Gross was obtained in the public schools of his 
native city, and it was completed at Yale University, from which institution he graduated 
with honor in 1869. He took the oration stand, and was a leading Phi Beta Kappa man. 
The first year after leaving college was spent as a teacher at Hall's School in Ellington, 
Conn. Returning to Hartford in 1870, Mr. Gross commenced the study of the technicalities 
of the legal profession with the Hon. Charles J. Hoadley, and later on he entered the law 
office of Waldo, Hubbard & Hyde as a student. In September, 1872, he was admitted to 
the bar of Hartford County, and remained as a clerk with Waldo, Hubbard & Hyde, and 
four years afterwards, January, 1877, he was made a member of the firm, the name remain- 
ing the same. On the death of Judge Waldo in 1881, the title was changed to Hubbard, 
Hyde & (iross, and after Governor Hubbard's death in 1884, it became Hyde, Gross & Hyde, 
and again after the death of Hon. .Vlvau P. H\(le, il became Gross, Hyde & Shipinan, 
which it still remains. The partners are Charles E. Gross, William Waldo Hyde and Arthur 
L. Shipman, all graduates of Yale. Mr. Gross has made a special study of insurance and 
corporation law, and in his chosen part of the legal world has few equals in the state. By 
far the larger share of this class of work transacted bj' the firm falls to his lot, and he has 
gained an enviable reputation for himself by his skillful and conscientious handling of the 
important cases entrusted to his care. 

The services and experience of Mr. Gross are in demand by business and insurance cor- 
porations. He is a director in the .Etna Insurance Company, and since its re-organization 
in i88g, he has been a director in the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company. At the 
animal meeting in 1893, he was chosen a director of the New York & New England Rail- 
road Company. He is one of the trustees of the Society for Savings, the largest institu- 
tion of the kind in Connecticut. Of manufacturing companies he holds a directorship in 
the Western Automatic Machine Screw Company, and of the Smythe Manufacturing Com- . 
pany, both of them successful Hartford corporations. He is also a trustee of the Wadsworth 
Atheneum. 

By persistent declination, Mr. Gross has contrived to keep outside the whirl of political 
life, although it is merely stating an open secret to say that various official honors have been 
placed before him for acceptance. Always interested in the material prosperity of the city 
of his birth, he was one of the organizers of the Hartford Board of Trade, which is a moving 
force for good in the community, and is now .serving on the board of directors. As a result 
of a public meeting held in 1885, a committee of twenty gentlemen, known to be interested 
in moral and philanthropic movements, was selected, who were to use their utmost endeavors 
to arouse the minds of the citizens to the importance of action on the license and other 
public questions. This committee has done yeoman service before the legislature and board 
of County Commissioners. During the entire time Mr. Gross has held the laboring oar as 
secretary' of the committee, and by precept and example has greatly furthered the work. 

He is also a director of the Charity Organization Society, the object of which is to 
simplify and harmonize the charitable work of the city, which had previously been sadly 
mismanaged, or rather had suffered from lack of concerted management. In 1891, he was 
one of a special committee of five, appointed by the town. Prof. John J. McCook being the 
chairman, on out-door alms. It was found that the United States led the world as to 



144 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

expense per capita in out-door alms giving, etc. Connecticut led the rest of the states, and 
Hartford led Connecticut. All of the committee gave much time to the consideration of the 
intricate questions before them and though the report was largely the work of the chairman, 
Mr. Gross attended to the legal bearings of the case and the effects of his experience could 
be seen on numerous pages. The report created a profound sensation in the city and state, 
and was the direct means of stopping many abuses which had grown up. It has since been 
introduced into several colleges as a text-book on charitable work, the statistical value being 
simply incalculable. A municipal reform club has recently been formed in Hartford, called 
the City Club, having over four hundred members, and Mr. Gross is president of the club. 
The Hartford Courant thus brief!)- alludes to an important service Mr. Gross rendered 
to the medical practitioners of Connecticut : 

The active struggle before the last legislature over the Medical Practice Act is still remembered all over 
the state as is the fact brought out at the hearing, that Charles E. Gross, who so ably managed the case for 
the Connecticut Medical Society, declined to accept any fee for his service. The doctors, however, have takeu 
another way to testify their appreciation of his assistance and yesterday the society, through its officers, presented 
him with a unique and very choice testimonial. It is in the shape of a beautiful hand-made volume, bound in 
white morocco, and enclosed in a rich silk case. The book on opening it is found to consist of a number of 
parchment pages on which are exquisitely engrossed the resolutions of thanks passed by the society. The 
illuminated lettering iu colors is worthy of the old monks, and the whole work is noticeably beautiful.* ♦ ♦ * 
The resolutions which were printed in the volume of "Proceedings," are as follows: 

In recognition of the distinguished service rendered to the people of Connecticut by Charles E. Gross, Esq., 
in connection with the recent passage of the Medical Practice Bill by the legislature ; and in view of the fact 
that this service has included manv scores of conferences with the members of the committee which represented 
this societv in securing such legislation ; the drafting of the bill and subsequent modifications of it ; the pre- 
sentation of the most cogent of arguments in favor of its enactment ; which latter has covered some years 
and all of which has been done without compensation, and often with great personal inconvenience and sacrifice 
of business interests, and with such devotion to the welfare of all concerned as to render it almost if not quite 
unique in character ; therefore 

Resolved: That the Connecticut Medical Society hereby expresses its high appreciation of these services 
of Mr. Gross, and begs to extend to him iu behalf of its members and its constituency its thanks and con- 
gratulations, that this resolution be spread upon the records of this society, and that a copy be suitably en- 
grossed for presentation to him. 

Though Mr. Gross is of a legal turn of mind, and stands in the front rank among the 
lawyers of the state, it will be seen that he has not confined hinself wholly to the technicalities 
of his profession. Everything that affects the welfare of the capital city finds in him a ready 
champion and active worker. In the Board of Trade, in financial and insurance corpora- 
tions, in manufacturing companies, in philanthropic work, his influence is felt, and always 
for the upbuilding and development of the city along right lines. Now in the prime of his 
manhood, therfe are yet many years of continued usefulness stretching out before him. 

On the fifth of October, 1875, Mr. Gross was married to Ellen C, daughter of the late 
Calvin Spencer of Hartford. Three children have been born to them : Charles Welles, 
who has passed his examination and enters the next class in Yale University ; William 
Spencer, who died at the age of two years, and Helen Clarissa, now ten years of age. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 145 



EARS, EDWARD HALE, president of the Collins Company of Collinsville 
(and Hartford), was born in Williamsbnrg, Mass., Feb. 23, 1846, a lineal 
descendant of Richard Sears, who was a member of Plymouth Colony Court in 
1662. Mr. Sears is the .son of Benjamin F. Sears, who was a manufacturer 
of edge tools at Williamsburg, and who removed to Collinsville to engage in 
the same work with the Collins Company, of which, as it has proved, his son, who was then 
but a boy, was eventually to be the president and manager. The young man graduated at 
the Collins\ille high school, and prepared to take a scientific course at Yale in order to become 
a civil engineer, but at the solicitation of Samuel W. Collins, then president and one of the 
founders of the Collins Company, he entered the office of that corporation in 1863, and 
undertook the master^■ of the business in all its branches and details. He has remained there 
continuou.sly, ad\aucing from one position of responsibility to another. He was agent, then 
vice-president, and, since the death of Maj. W. J. Wood in 1886, he has been president and 
general manager. 

With his long experience, his thorough knowledge of the business, and his natural gift 
of organization, he has been singularly successful in systematizing the details of manufacture, 
and, under his management, the Collins Company has become the largest axe and edge tool 
works in the world, employing, as it does, about seven hundred men. The product of the 
factory has been so increased, its high standard of excellence so well maintained, and the cost 
of production so restricted by skill and economy, that the company stands at the head in its 
many lines of work, and is known all over the world wherever people cut wood or break the 
ground. Civilization, as it advances, carries the Collins Company's tools in its hands, and, 
as it develops, finds more and more uses for them. 

Mr. Sears is the head of the great company, which has a capital of one uiillion dollars, 
and whose extensive works at Collinsville cover seventeen acres of ground. With his long 
ser\-ice there, he knows every detail of the business, and to a large degree it is now of his 
owni planning and arrangement. He has made a special study of the art of iron and steel 
making and the conditions of treatment necessar}- to prepare such materials for use, and has 
studied both at home and abroad the industry which he has in charge. He possesses the 
fidlest confidence of his board of directors, who in various ways have indicated their high 
esteem of his personal worth and executive ability ; and the growth and prosperity of the 
company, in the clo.se times since he took the management of its affairs, have amply justified 
the trust that they have put in him. He is qxiiet and unassuming in his manner, but clear 
and positive in his views, — a man of few words but many resources; and the .success of the 
company under his administration assures him a place among the leading manufacturers of 
New England. 

This great concern, now the largest of its kind in the world, was established in 1S26 liy 
the firm of Collins & Company. Before that time all a.xes were made by hand by black.sniiths, 
and were cnide, unfinished tools that required grinding by the purchaser before he could use 
them. Samuel W. Collins, founder of the establishment, conceived the idea of making axes 
ready for u.se, to be furnished to and sold by the hardware trade. He and his associates, 
David C. Collins and William Wells, bought a mill privilege on the Farmington river, 
where Collinsville has since grown up, and began maniifacture. The partnership became a 
coq^oration in 1834 with a capital of $150,000, which has since been increased li\ ^M-^ll pay- 
ments to $1,000,000. 

The mechanical skill of the late E. K. Root, a fonner superintendent (subsequently 
president of the Colt Company of Hartford; had nuich to do with the introduction of improved 



146 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 

machinen' in the company's early history, and lience with its progress and development. 
During recent years the inventions of others and the systematizing of the departments of labor, 
with the maintenance of the high quality of its products, have enabled the company to compete 
successfully with both domestic and foreign manufacturers. In its works, axes in almost 
every conceivable variety of style and size are made for all the countries of the world. From 
the small axes used in Biirmah and Ceylon, weighing from one-half to two pounds, the range 
of weight extends to seven pounds for Australia and New Zealand. Strange and peculiar 
patterns are made for trade with Mexico, Central and South America. In all over eight 
hundred patterns of axes, hatchets and picks, adzes and machetes are manufactured. Machetes, 
which are used for wood and cane cutting in Spanish American countries, are a considerable 
item of manufacture. 

The annual consumption of coal in all departments is eleven thousand tons. Power is 
obtained by the use of twelve large water wheels and eight steam boilers. The product is 
five thousand edge tools per da\- besides a large output of steel plows. The company also 
makes and consumes two thousand tons of bar iron and nine hundred tons of steel per annum. 
Although the business has passed through some years of depression the company has made 
a dividend every year for nearly sixty years, and its business is much larger and more extensive 
now than at any pre\-ious time in its history. Its recent extensive growth, and its present 
satisfactory condition, are attributable in very large degree to the intelligent management and 
the unremitting attention of its efificient president. 

Mr. Sears married Miss Elizabeth Prince Ames, a native of Princeton, Ind. Of their 
three sons, David Dlo}-d Sears is the only child surviving. Mr. and Mr. Sears live in Hart- 
ford, where the company has an office, but spend a part of the year in a summer home near 
Collinsville, where are the factories of the company. c. H. c. 




i 



j|ERWIN, SAMUEL EDWIN, of New Haven, ex-lieutenant-governor of Con- 
necticut, and president of the Yale National Bank, was born in Brookfield, 
Fairfield County, Aug. 23, 1831. The year 1831 was noted as one in which 
a brilliant array of men distinguished in their several spheres of action first saw 
the light. An enumeration would include a long list of statesmen, which 
should be headed by President James A. Garfield, Redfield Proctor, secretary of war, and 
John W. Noble, secretary of the interior, and a dozen other senators and cabinet officers. 
A roll of an equal number of Union generals would have Phil Sheridan as leader, while the list 
of business and professional men of eminence would reach into the scores. Emperor Frederick 
William of Germany was born in 183 1, and a limited class of female celebrities would have 
in it Mrs. Lucy Webb Hayes, Mrs. David Croly, "Jennie June," Helen Jackson, " H. H.," 
and Mary Louise Booth. 

Governor Merwin is a lineal descendant of Miles Merwin, one of the early prominent 
settlers of Milford, whose name is still perpetuated in Merwin's Point, in the southwestern 
part of the coirnty. The oldest memorial of the dead in the ancient burial ground at ]\Iilford 
is a sandstone slab of elaborate ornamentation in arabesque design which has been defaced 
by the hand of time. It bears an inscription to the memory of Miles Merwin, after whom 
Merwin's Point was named. His son, vSamuel Merwin, born Aug. 21, 1656, was one of the 
first .settlers of New Milford, and his name appears as one of the proprietor's having a large 
allotment of land in that part of the town which was subsequently incorporated as Brookfield. 
Four successive Samuels followed in the family line. Samuel E. Merwin, son of the last 
Samuel, married Ruby Nearing, and became the father of the subject of this sketch. 



OF CONXECriCUT, iSSi-iSg^. 147 

The education of the future governor was simply that affoided Ijy the district school of 
his native town, supplemented by a year's instruction in the high school of the adjoining 
town of Newtown. At the age of sixteen, the famih- mo\ed to New Haven, where another 
year was passed at school. Before he reached his majority, he associated himself with his 
father under the firm name of S. E. Merwin & Son, a connection which lasted until 1880. 

Outside of his active and successful business life, Governor Merwin has been identified 
with a number of important public and private trusts. He served as commissioner of police 
for two years, and for nine )-ears he was an inchistrious and efficient member of the board of 
education. In 1872, he was induced to accept the nomination for senator in the fourth district, 
and received the compliment of being elected by a majority of five hundred in a district 
heavily Democratic. As candidate of the Republicans for mayor of the city, and also for 
member of congress for the second district, his great popularity in both cases nearly resulted 
in overcoming heavy Democratic majorities. 

In the military circles of the state, Governor Merwin has been even more conspicuous 
than in private life. He was in command of New Haven Grays during the war, and by 
successive promotions became lieutenant-colonel and colonel of the Second Regiment. No 
man in Connecticut not engaged in actual service, performed more efficient labors than he. 
In response to a call from Governor Buckingham in 1863, the Grays, under his connnand, 
volunteered to go to Gettysburg. For thirty days during the draft riots in New York, his 
company remained under arms, in hourly expectation of being called upon to aid in averting 
that appalling danger. Guarding conscripted men, consigning to their last resting place with 
appropriate honors numerous officers and men who had fallen in battle, or died in hospitals, 
and receiving with proper military display the returning veterans of the war, became part 
of his official duties while in command of the regiment. Just in closing his term as a soldier 
he rendered a most important ser\ice, for which he deserves to be gratefully remembered by 
the citizens of Connecticut. Through his efforts, a gang of prize fighters and their associates 
were captured at Charles Island, opposite ]\Iilford, and the whole party were taken to New 
Haven and turned over to the civil authorities. The prompt and efficient action at that time 
has since saved the state from similar scenes of brutal character. His great admiration and 
friendship for the soldiers led to his appointment as chairman of the committee to build the 
soldiers' monument erected by the town of New Haven, and it is largely due to his untiring 
zeal and energy that a most lieautiful tribute has been dedicated to the memory of those who 
lost their lives in the cause of the Union. 

Mr. Merwin rendered some very valuable service to his state when he was filling the 
office of adjutant-general for the years 1869, 1870 and 1872. It was through his efforts that 
the military .system of the state was re-organized on its present efficient basis. The entire 
National Guard was grouped into one brigade with a regiment located in each congressional 
district. The change was very favorably considered, and the new system has been copied in 
other states. 

There was no choice by the people at the state election in 1SS8, and on the assembling 
of the legislature he was chosen lieutenant-governor for two years, on the ticket with Hon. 
Morgan G. Bulkeley. In 1890, Lieutenant-Governor Merwin was given a unanimous 
nomination as the Republican candidate for governor. On being presented to the convention, 
he received a most enthusiastic reception. After speaking of the work of the Republican 
party and the i.ssues of the da\-, he thus voiced his sentiments regarding himself: 

Gentlemen, I am a thorough-hred Coiuicclicut man, born a\u\ 1ir<)uj;ht up on a Connecticut farm. I love her 
hills and valleys, and honor tho.se who till her soil. I rejoice in the prosperity of her cities and villages and 
sincerely hope the wage-earner and employer may continue in harmonious relations for all time to come, thereby 



148 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

insuring to honest labor and industry just reward. I most fulh- appreciate her schools and institutions for learning. 
May they continue to teach the young the great principle of patriotism, love of country and justice between man 
and man. I have faith in the future prosperity of our state, faith in our people, because I believe their faith with 
mine is pinned to the motto of Connecticut: "Qui transtulit, sustinet." My life has been devoted to business, 
and I trust you will not call me egotistical if I say it has been my endeavor to deal fairly and honorably by my 
fellowmen. My politics will be conducted on the same broad principle, and in victory or defeat I hope to retain 
the confidence, goodwill and friendship of my fellow-citizens, and, above all, my own self-respect and honor. 

You have placed me before the people as a candidate for governor, feeling that claim of the people, and that 
they through you have nominated me. If elected, as I hope to be, I have but one promise to make them. It will 
be my earnest endeavor to serve the interests of Connecticut faithfullj- and well, thereby serving the interests of all 
her people, trying to remember at all times that I am their servant and not their master. With this promise I go 
before them for their suffrages, and, whether elected or defeated, they will fiud me loyal to Connecticut and all of 
those interests that have placed her among the first in the great sisterhood of states. 

Again there was no election by the people at the polls in November. When the legis- 
lature assembled in January, 1891, a series of technical differences arose, and as a consequence, 
no legal election or inauguration of officers was effected b\' that body, except in the case of 
comptroller, who was declared elected by the people. The narrative of the next two years 
forms an unpleasant page in the histor\- of Connecticut. During the trving and embarassing 
scenes which followed, Lieutenant-Governor Merwin bore himself in a manner which called 
forth the highest encomiums, both from his friends and those politically opposed to him. 

In 1892, for the second time, he received the Republican nomination for governor with 
great unanimity. His speech of acceptance was a splendid summary of the Republican side 
of the controversy which had existed, as well as of the issues which divided the two great 
parties. In opening, he .said : 

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention : Two }-ears ago, the Republicans of Connecticut, through 
their representatives assembled in convention in this hall, nominated me as their candidate for governor. Your 
committee have advised me that this convention has seen fit to again honor me with the nomination, and I am here 
to accept the same, and to return my sincere thanks for this renewed expression of confidence. We have been 
witnessing a strange condition of affairs in Connecticut. Twenty months have passed since the general assembly 
should have elected some one governor of this commonwealth. Every intelligent citizen knows that our constitu- 
tion requires that a majority of all the votes cast are requisite to the election of a state officer, and if no candidate 
receives a majority, it ilevolvcs upon the legislature to elect one of the two receiving the highest number of votes. 
At the last election no candidate for governor received a majority of the legal votes cast, and under all the prece- 
dents the people had a right to expect the general assembly would proceed under the constitution and make its 
choice. That body being Republican on joint ballot, no fair-minded man can doubt for one moment that I would 
have been its choice. If any citizen ever doubted the loyalty of the majority of that legislature to me, that doubt 
must long since have been dispelled. It was not only loyalty" to me that kept them in one solid phalanx, but there 
was a principle involved that was far above the question of the governorship, a principle which the constitution 
guarantees and which every citizen of Connecticut should hold dear, to wit. : The right to cast one vote and to 
have that vote counted as cast. The importance of this principle has been recognized by our iMtional convention, 
aud, for one, I am glad that our part}' stands pledged by its platform to secure the rights guaranteed by the consti- 
tution of the X'nited States to every voter throughout the land. 

Speaking of the result of the convention, the Waterbiiry Ajnei'tcan^ a leading inde- 
pendent paper, said : " The Repitblican state ticket, nominated at New Haven on Wednesdaj'-, 
with substantial harmony and yet with opposition enough to give life and interest to the 
proceedings of the con\ention, is a strong and clean one. General Merwin is known by 
everybody, and known as a gentleman, an honorable business man, and a worthy candidate 
for the highest state office." 

The tidal wave of democracy which swept over the country was too strong to be over- 
come, and he failed of election. The battle of ballots was well fought, but victor}- was with 
the opposition. If the Republicans of Connecticut do their whole duty, they will see to it 
in the future that Lieutenant-Governor Merwin is placed (where he should have been several 
years ago) in the gubernatorial chair. No citizen of the state more richly deser\fes the honor. 




-lJZJZ,^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. H9 

Financial and other institutions occupy no small share of Governor ^lerwin's attention. 
At present, he is president of the New Haven Savings Bank — the largest savings institution 
in the city — and he holds the same office in the Connecticut Hospital Society, and is a 
trustee of the Orphan Asylum. He is also a director in the New Haven & Derby Railroad, 
and in the Shepaug, Litchfield & Northern Railroad, both of the companies being leased to 
the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. These various official positions indicate 
the esteem in which he is held by his associates, and they are an equal indication of his 
charitable nature, as all are a drain on his time and pocket without any pecuniary com- 
pensation. Almost daily is it his pleasant privilege to be the counsellor and advisor of 
widows and orphans. Frequently during the past score of years Governor Merwiu has been 
called upon by the business men of New Haven to settle various estates, including those of 
banks, merchants, manufacturers, and insurance companies. In all of the important tmsts 
which have been confided to him, and some of them have been exceedingly complicated, he 
has ever won the respect and grateful acknowledgment of the creditors for his faithful and 
energetic settlements. 

During his two score years of residence in New Haven, by his public spirit and zeal in 
the welfare of his adopted city, Governor Merwin has endeared himself to all classes of citizens. 
In all the various walks of life, whether civil or military, public or private, his name has 
been synonymous with honor, integrity and strength. Not all of the good deeds of such a 
man as he show on the surface, and numerous are the families who have cause to bless 
his memory- for benefactions unknown to the outside world. In every way worthy to occupy 
the seat once filled by Buckingham and Jewell, the people of Connecticut will honor them- 
selves by making him the administrative head of the state. 

Samuel E. Merwin was married Feb. 27, 1857, to Lucy Emily Beers, daughter of Anthony 
and Betsv Beers of Brookfield. 




rjniB.\LL, CARLOS CLINTON, son of Daniel Kimball, Jr., and of Roxana 
(McCray) Kimball, was born at Ellington, Conn., April 24, 1828. Having 
graduated at the Ellington Academy, in 1848, he continued his studies in the 
classical department of the Williston Seminary at Easthampton, ^Mass. He 
left this institution to take the position of assistant principal in the academy 
of his native town, whence he was invited to take charge of the high school in the Green- 
ville district of Norwich, Conn., where he remained for three years. In both places the 
proficiency of his classes, especially in mathematics, attracted the attention of educators ; and 
also an order and discipline that were maintained without apparent effort, and with rare 
displays of authority. He resigned his position in Greenville to become principal of the 
Webster School in New Ha\en, where the corps of teachers under him nunabered from 
itwelve to fourteen. After remaining here for three years, although the work had many 
attractions for him, he decided that a career having broader relations with the world pre- 
sented greater opportunities for both pleasure and profit. In i860, he accordingly resigned, 
and after two years spent in travel took up the permanent business of life. 

In 1S63, Mr. Kimball located in Hartford, accepting the management of the New Eng- 
land department (embracing all New England except Boston) of the Insurance Company of 
North America. Established at Philadelphia in 1792, this is the oldest and, with a single 
exception, the largest fire insurance company in the United States. For thirty years the 
relationship has continued without a ripple, to the eminent satisfaction of all parties. Con- 
sidering the vicissitudes of the business, it is remarkable that the books of the office show 
a net profit for ever)- year of this long term. 
20 



I50 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

In 1866, the Hartford Life and Annnit}' Insnrance Company l^egan operations on a 
capital of $300,000, and at the end of twelve months fonnd that abont one-third of the 
sum had been swallowed up in the experiment. Visions of bankruptcy alarmed the stock- 
holders. Meanwhile the value of the shares had fallen one-half, and some of the owners 
took steps preliminary to winding up the venture. At this juncture Mr. Kimball, after 
repeated solicitations from the directors, consented to accept the presidency. He at once 
radically revised its aims and methods, infusing such vitality into the management that within 
three years the impairment of capital was made good from the business, and the company 
established on a di\-idend paying basis. Having learned by observation what could be accom- 
plished on the somewhat novel plans of the association, other parties now secretly bought a 
controlling interest in the property for the purpose of handling it. As often happens in such 
cases, the promoters of the "scheme failed to win the success which had allured their ambition, 
though later the enterprise became solidly established. 

Mr. Kimball has for many years been constantly solicited to take part in the organization 
and management of new entei'prises. Although compelled in many cases to decline, he has 
found time to aid in the permanent establishment of several of our highly-successful institu- 
tions, both financial and industrial. A few may be mentioned by way of illustration. He 
was one of the corporators and from the beginning has been a director of the Security Com- 
pany and of the Loan and Guarantj- Company. He is a director in the Hartford Steam Boiler 
Inspection and Insurance Company. In association with William A. Healey he became a 
shareholder in what is now the Pratt & Cady Company in its early days, and as director has 
been identified with its remarkable growth. In 1884, he accepted the presidencv of the 
Sm}-the Manufacturing- Company which has developed the patents and makes the only machine 
in America for sewing books by thread. From small beginnings and in the face of many 
obstacles, it has been gradually introduced into leading binderies in all parts of the world. 
Even Russia, supposed to be impenetrable to the latest devices of civilization, has several in 
operation, and a number have found their wa}- to Australia. The mechanism so combines 
simplicity with ingenuity, and in the process of evolution is covered by so many interlock- 
ing patents, that it is not likely to have a rival for a long time to come. Shares in the 
capital stock of $300,000 are eagerly sought at a large premium. When 'Six. Kimball 
assumed charge of the business the machine was still quite imperfect, but he had entire faith 
in the correctness of the underlying principle. Hence with unwearied assiduity he applied his 
energies to the double task of perfecting the various devices that contributed to the accom- 
plishment of a common end, and of overcoming the popular prejudice which at first declared 
the undertaking to be impracticable. In this instance, patience, tact and a fertility of resource 
suited to the conquest of both physical and moral difficulties, have met deserved sirccess. 

Mr. Kimball has always held aloof from the intrigues of politics, refusing to be a can- 
didate for elective offices, or to enter in any way into the rush for place. His deep interest 
in popular education has led him to take a long and active part in the management of his 
local school district, and he has ser\-ed as one of the board of school visitors for the town. 

On the formation of the Hartford Board of Trade, in 1888, ;Mr. Kimball was elected 
first vice-president, and has been annually reelected since. An intimate knowledge of me- 
chanical principles, skill in detecting the vital excellencies and defects of mechanical con- 
trivances, and a broad acquaintance with practical affairs, ha\-e made his services in this 
position peculiarly valuable to the association and to the public. 

Mr. Kimball married Oct. 29, 1863, Caroline E., daughter of Hon. E. A. Converse of 
Stafford\ ille. Conn., a man of very high character, whose active career in business spanned 
nearly half a centur)'. He has two sons, George Converse and Frederick Strong Kimball, 
both graduates of Yale University, and both now in business in Hartford. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 



ISI 




■^ATCHELLER, WHERLOCK THAYER, of Winsted, ex-comptroller of the 

state, was born in Winchester, Conn., Eeb. 18, 1840. 

This branch of the Batcheller family is of Massachusetts stock, the old 

homestead being located in Worcester County. In 1817, Wheelock T. 

Batcheller transferred his residence to Winsted, and, in 1833, he was followed 
by his son, William (i. Batcheller. The latter married Julia M. Thayer, and of their two 
sons the subject of this sketch was the youngest. 

Young Batcheller's education was received at the common schools of his native town, 
and at the Claverack (New York) Institute. Deciding to pursue a mercantile life, he 
entered the business of scythe manufacturing, founded by his maternal grandfather. While 
thus engaged a call to arms was made for the suppression of the Rebellion, and he enlisted 
in Company E, Second Connecticut Volunteers, Col. Terry's regiment, and went to the 
front as first lieutenant. He participated in the disastrous battle of Bull Run, and upon 
his return from his original three months' enlistment he assisted in organizing the Twenty- 
eighth Connecticut \'olunteers, and though he had but just passed his majority, was chosen 
lieutenant-colonel. In the campaign around Port Hudson Lieut. -Col. Batcheller commanded 
his regiment, the colonel being in command of the brigade. 

He was afterwards transferred to the quartermaster-general's department of Gen. 
Shcnnan's army, and had charge of important railroads in Georgia and North Carolina 
from Johnston's surrender to the official close of the war. He was mustered out in December, 
1865, with an enviable reputation for faithful service. 

In 1S67, Mr. Batcheller resumed the manufacture of scythes, and was the president of 
the George Dudley & Son Company from 1882 to 18S9, and in the last named ^■ear retired 
from active business, though he is now interested financially in several manufacturing 
companies. 

Mr. Batcheller has had his share of official honors, but they have never been of his 
seeking. In 1879, without his solicitation and by a handsome majority, he was elected 
representative to the legislature from Winsted as a Republican. At this session he ser\-ed 
as House chainnan of llie military committee, and made a good record for efficient work. 
In 1880, he was elected comptroller of the state on the ticket with Gov. H. B. Bigelow, 
and filled that responsible position for two years. Mr. Batcheller was prevailed upon to 
allow his name to be used as the Republican candidate for senator from the eighteenth 
district in 1885, and was again sent to the capital to represent his constituents. His 
previous experience made him an exceedingly valuable member, and he served on the com- 
mittee on appropriations in 1885, and the following year his committees were finance and 
capitol grounds and furniture. These were the last two years at which annual sessions 
were held. 

Taking a zealous interest in the welfare of the Grand Army of the Republic, Mr. 
Batcheller was a charter member of Palmer Post of Winsted, and has served as an aid on 
the department commander's staff. 




152 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

ILLER, EDWARD, founder and present head of the extensive corporation of 
Edward Miller & Company-, ^Nleriden, was born in Wallingford, Conn., Aug. lo, 
1827. His grandfather was Rev. Samuel Miller of Wallingford, and his father, 
Joel Miller, lived on the old homestead in early life, but, transferring his 
residence to Meriden, he died there in 1865. The mother of the future 
manufacturer was Clarissa, daughter of Seth D. Plum, one of the first to engage in the 
production of tin ware and a prominent man in his day. 

As a farmer's boy, and amid the surroundings of an ordinary Connecticut farm, Edward 
Miller started on the journey of life. The common schools of the district where he lived, 
together with a couple of terms at Post's Academy, Meriden, afforded him all the education 
he received, except that to be obtained from the great book of Nature, or that which he 
acquired later in the severe school of experience. Work and the practical affairs of daily 
life filled young ]\Iiller's time after his tenth year far more than ideas gained from books. 
At the age of fifteen, he began to learn how to make lamp screws, hoops and candlestick 
springs in the small factory- of Mr. H. N. Howard of Meriden, the family having moved 
to that city several years previously. His faithfulness here secured him a position at better 
wages with Stedman & Clark, who manufactured a similar line of goods, where he remained 
two years. Graduallv the ambition had grown within him to manufacture and sell goods 
wdiich should be identified with his own name. Accordingly he proposed to his father that 
he buy a set of tools, and manufacture springs, screws, etc., and place on the market in 
the Miller name. Later a partnership was formed under the style of Joel Miller &. Son. 
An old wood shed was utilized as a factory, foot power lathes and presses were set up, and 
the manufacture undertaken. After the partnership had continued over a year, Mr. Edward 
Miller, then onh' twenty years of age, bought out his father's interest and his own legal 
"time," up to his majority, for $800.00, giving his notes in payment. Unusual success at- 
tended his operations, as before the end of the following year the notes were paid out of 
the profits. His limited quarters becoming too straitened for the amount of business trans- 
acted, a new shop was added, horse power took the place of foot, and a little later steam 
furnished the moti\-e power.' Each advance represented a stage of progress towards greater 
things to come. 

Mr. Miller's ideas of extension grew faster even than his rapidly growing business. 
More room, better appliances, and greater freedom in manufacturing were needed. At this 
time the ground where the present great factory stands was purchased, his wife, who had 
become his helper and counsellor, being much opposed to the movement, as she feared the 
loss of the little fortune they had accumulated. The wooden factory was built, and the 
plant included a small stationary engine. New inventions had been demanded by the trade 
before this date, as the use of camphene and burning fluid was widespread. Ever)' demand 
was met promptly. As rapidly as the market called for new designs, with equal celerity 
did Mr. Miller change the products of his factor}'. The production of fluid burners was 
increased, improvements being made as needed, invention going hand in hand with the 
process of manufacture. Every prospect seemed bright, but disaster came from an un- 
expected quarter. A sudden fire swept through the factory, levelling it completely and 
destroying dies and patterns, lathes and presses, the result of thirteen years' hard work. 
The engine and boiler were the only things preserved amid the general destruction. The 
blow was a severe one, but IMr. Miller met it with fortitude. The fire occurred in the 
earl}- part of 1856, but before the close of the year everything was in running order again. 
Then came the panic of 1857, and all the neighboring shops were shut down. When the 




O2.t0/^^<^. y . -^^^i^^^^^^ 



* 



li 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 153 

financial cyclone had somewhat spent its force, Mr. Miller went to New York, January i, 
1858, seeking for something novel or usefnl with which to retrieve his shattered fortunes. 
He saw the kerosene burner, just brought from Austria. Returning home at once, he 
determined to make this new burner, only in an improved condition. Owing to the cost of 
the distilled oil, fluid burners were in much greater demand than kerosene, but the new 
kind of burner was made and placed on the market. Others soon followed where he led, 
but he deserves the distinction of being the first to offer kerosene burners in the market as 
the product of American manufacture. 

The dawn of a new era in illuminating was now opening upon the country. As the 
coal fields of Pennsylvania and Ohio were opened, the price of oil was lowered, and the 
demand for the burner increased immensely. Useful and ornamental brass goods were 
added, and again the factory became taxed beyond its capacity, necessitating successive en- 
largements. In 1866, it seemed wise to Mr. Miller to associate with himself other capitalists 
in the business. A joint stock company was . formed in July of that year, under the 
corporation name of Edward Miller & Company, the capital being $200,000. The already 
large plant continued to grow under the auspices of the new company, until now the 
factory covers several acres of ground and work is furnished to nearly 800 employees. 

Let a few sentences from the Mcridoi Daily Journal show how the standing of the 
firm is appreciated at home: "The company's prosperity is such that it knows no dull 
periods or its workmen want of employment. The departments are fully equipped with all 
the most modern machineiy that can aid in the rapid and perfect production of goods. It 
is the nile in the manufacture of their goods that excellence is the grand thing to be at- 
tained, and the high esteem in which their products are held by dealers and consumers 
warrants the assertion that they realize the end sought. Their products are largely exported 
to foreign lands, and immense as this business is, it is daily increasing. It would be an 
impossibility to enumerate the great assortment of articles made by this company. Prominent 
among them are lamp trimmings of every variety, tinners' hardware, together with brass 
and bronze goods. Their designs are thoroughly their own, and are selected by those 
appreciative of the superiority of American goods and the Ameiican styles over those of 
foreign lands. Yet the company keeps a sharp eye on the centres of artistic productions, 
with a \iew that none shall excel them. The result is that not only are the designs of art 
centres equalled, but in most cases excelled by the addition of the American artist. 

"In 1884, the company began to manufacture the 'Rochester' lamps. No adequate 
conception of their value as illuminators could be gained, however, except to see them when 
lighted. They give a clear, steady, beautiful, yet strong light, that is proof at first sight 
of their superiority. Over one thousand different designs of the ' Rochester ' are made, 
varying from the 'Rochester, Jr.' to the ' IMammoth,' capable of flooding the largest hall 
with a light almost equal to that of an electric arc light." 

When the "Rochester" lamp reached its present standard, Mr. ^Miller thought 
perfection had been attained ; still as imitations began to be placed on the market he 
determined to reach out further than ever into the realms of light production. Ever>' 
principle of the new lamp nmst have a scientific basis, and no detail be omitted which 
would affect its working in the slightest degree. The result of his experiments finds 
expression in the "Miller" lamp, in which there is nothing left to be desired. It is sim- 
plicity itself. It has no dirt pocket, and cannot get out of order; the central draft through 
a solid, seamless brass tube cannot leak; it has the screw adjustment and plunge movement 
to be used at pleasure, both perfect; oil cannot drip down the tube, and to crown all, it 
has the best and simplest device for rewicking ever inxentcd. Naturally Mr. Miller takes 



154 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

great pride in this latest achievement. Every point of importance is different from all other 
lamps, and each new principle is fnlly covered by patents. It was bnt fitting that the man 
who made the first kerosene burner should produce the perfect lamp of the future, and it 
was equally fitting that this king of burners should bear his name. 

IVIr. Miller, when by himself, always relied wholly upon the merit of his productions 
for success, and following this course the company have achieved a reputation which is 
very valuable. There is the same careful attention paid to the miniite details of the 
business, from mixing the native metals which form the alloy, to the final finishing of the 
smallest article they produce. There is always the same earnest endeavor to attain 

perfection, and the company has as nearly reached it as it is possible for man to do. The 
present officers of the company are Edward Miller, president; Edward Miller, Jr., secretary 
and treasurer; B. C. Kennard, assistant treasurer; and Arthur Miller, superintendent. 

A Republican in politics, ]\Ir. ?tliller is an ardent supporter of the principles of his 
party. Refusing solicitations to accept political preferment, he has confined himself wholly 
to the building up of the magnificent business of which he is rightly the head. A Baptist 
in religious belief, he is a member of the church on Broad street, and is warmly attached 
to his church home, to the yearly support of which he is a liberal donor, and in 1869 his 
thoughtfulness showed itself in the gift of an elegant organ, which has added no little to 
the interest and solemnit\- of the worship. Mr. Miller is an acknowledged leader in his 
denomination throughout the state, and for a series of }-ears has been treasurer of the 
Connecticut Baptist Education Society. 

But his liberalitv is by no means confined to the denomination of which he forms an 
integral part. All true objects of benevolence, both within and withoiit the Baptist 

fraternity, share in his generosity. His donation to the German Baptists resulted in the 
erection of their building, and gave the work a great impetus. At one time there was a 
crisis in the affairs of the Connecticut Eiterary Institute of Suffield, and the sum of $50,000 
was needed to place it on a firm financial basis. Air. Miller saw the opportunity, and by 
making a leading gift, set the ball in motion and the necessary amount was pledged. His 
grasp of the sitiration and his promptness in acting were in evers- way characteristic of the 
donor. That worthy organization, the Young Men's Christian Association, has also been a 
sharer in his bounty, and his benevolence has been shown in numerous ways not known to 
the outside public. It is an interesting study to trace the development, both of the man 
and of the great industry with which his life is identified, and the solid character of the 
first permeates every ramification of the latter. The high reputation gained by the company 
coxxld never have been secured if the man behind it had ever lowered his standards or 
cheapened his productions. 

Edward IMiller was married April 14, 1830, to Caroline M., daughter of Joel Neal of 
Southington. Mrs. Miller at once became her husband's acti\-e helper and wise counsellor. 
She did not disdain to aid him in light work in the shop when orders were pressing, and 
she assisted him materially in laying the foundation of the business. Five children have 
been born to them, three of whom are now living. Edward Miller, Jr., is a graduate of 
Brown University, and is the secretary' and treasurer of the company. A large portion of 
the management has de^•olved upon him during the past ten )'ears, and he is a worthy son 
of such a sire. Arthur E. Miller has been lately promoted to the superintendency of the 
factory, and is a young man of great promise. Layette A. is the wife of Charles A. 
Kendrick of Meriden. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. i55 

ARXAM, 1IE;NRY,* of Xcw Haven, civil engineer and ex-president of the 
Cliicago & Rock Island Railroad, was born in the town of Scipio, Caynga 
Connty, N. Y., Nov. 9, 1803. He died Oct. 4, 1883, just before reaching the 
Biblical limit of four score years. 

During the last quarter of the last century, a small company of Connecticut 
farmers left the pleasant valley of the Thames to settle in the wilderness west of the Hudson. 
At that lime even the eastern part of the state of New York was regarded as the far West. 
Much of the land was thickly wooded, and they who made their homes there were true 
pioneers. They had not only to clear the surface which they expected to till, they had to 
face, if necessary, the attacks of the Indians. Eliab Farnam of Preston, with his wife and 
child, formed part of the company. He settled in IMount Hope, Orange County, and there 
spent the remainder of his days. His son, Jeffrey Amherst Farnam, married his cousin, 
Mercy Tracy, and after two years passed in Big Flats, where their first child was born, the 
ytning couple moved to the town of Scipio, where the rest of their eleven children were born, 
and where, in 1842, Jeffrey Farnam died. 

It was on the Scipio farm that Henrj' F''arnam, the sixth of the family, was born. Like 
his brothers, he was possessed of considerable physical strength, and showed great fondness 
for nuisic, the singing in the village church being mainly carried on by the various brothers 
of the F'arnam family. He displayed, however, at an early age, a greater appetite for books 
and a less eager devotion to boyish sports than the other brothers of the family. The two 
subjects that most attracted him were poetr\' and mathematics. His memory, like that of liis 
mother, was singularly retentive. Even in his old age he could repeat many verses which 
he had committed when a bo}-, especially extracts from Cowper and Pope, who were his 
favorite authors. His aptitude for mathematics was such that, even with the little instniction 
and the few text books he was able to command, he mastered the elements of trigonometr\- 
and suneying before he was sixteen. Yet he was often obliged to pursue these studies in 
the evening, when, to save the expense of a candle, he worked by the light of the winter's 
fire. 

Farm work was never congenial to him, and while he was still a boy he was sent to live 
with Dr. Phineas Hurd, a connection by marriage, with the intention of studying medicine. 
What he saw of the physician's life did not arouse in him any ambition to pursue that career, 
and he returned to his father's farm to occupy his time with manual labor, to finish his school- 
ing, and later to teach in the village school himself. The opportunity for the more profitable 
use of his talents soon came, and it is significant that his first pi'ofessional work was on the 
earliest of those great highways of commerce between the East and the W'est to which he was 
destined in his later life to make such important additions. The Erie Canal had been begun 
in 1817, and four years later, through the influence of a relative, Mr. Farnam got a situation 
on the .section west of Rochester. Commencing as rodman, he was soon made assistant 
engineer. The work was unhealthy, and the exposure to the miasmatic influences of the 
swamps was all but disastrous to his health. When he left the Erie Canal on its completion 
in the fall of 1824, the malarial poison had so fastened itself upon his system that his family 
almost despaired of his life. A change of air was deemed advisable. He was now his own 
master, and after another winter of school teaching, he took advantage of the offer of a position 
on the Farmington Canal, and moved in the spring of 1S25 to Connecticut. 

The twenty-five years that followed were years of great toil, heavy responsibilit}-, and 
small reward. They were the long apprenticeship of his life. They were the period in which 



• This sketch is condensed from a " Memoir of Henry Farnam " by Prof. Henry \V. Farnam. 



156 REPRESENTATIl-E MEN 

he laid painfulh" and slowly the foundations of character and experience upon which his later 
success was to be built. The Farraington Canal had been chartered in 1822, but it was not 
put under construction until 1825, when ]\Ir. Davis Hurd was appointed its chief engineer. 
It was as his assistant that Mr. Farnam came to New Haven. Upon the retirement of Mr. 
Hurd in 1827, he was made chief engineer, and held that office as long as the canal was in 
operation. The canal was finished as far as Farmington in 1828, and the line was finally 
carried to Northampton in 1835. Unfortunately the company did not prove profitable, and 
the original stock became a total loss. A new company was formed which put over $120,000 
into the business, but was no more successful than the old one had been. Further changes 
were made in 1840, and Mr. Joseph E. Sheffield, who was a large stockholder, virtually con- 
trolled the property for the next five years. The vicissitudes of the company were numerous, 
and in 1845 Mr. Sheffield sold the greater part of his stock and withdrew from the presidency. 

During all this time, Mr. Farnam acted as chief engineer and superintendent. He was 
constantly travelling up and down the line of the canal in his bugg}-, called hither and thither 
by sudden emergencies. By night and by day, in rain and shine, he responded promptly 
to whatever demands were made upon him, and at the same time he was often obliged to 
provide for raising the funds needed to pay operating expenses. The growing competition 
of the railroads had its part in preventing the canals from sharing in the increasing business 
of the state. Mr. Farnam then suggested to j\Ir. Sheffield that a railroad should be built along 
the line of the canal, and the canal itself abandoned. This measure would evidently save 
the expense of acquiring the right of way, and of doing a great deal of the grading, and 
would, at the same time, substitute for the antiquated canal a more efficient means of com- 
munication. ]\Ir. Sheffield was favorably impressed, and bought back the stock he had sold, 
and again became president of the companj^, Mr. Farnam continuing to act as chief engineer 
and superintendent. Complications arose with the New Haven & Hartford Road, and after 
the canal road was opened as far as Collinsville, certain legislation was obtained which made 
all of Mr. Sheffield's work unnecessary and entirely blocked his plans. Disappointed in 
those whom he had trusted, Mr. Sheffield closed up his business, and for the time gave up 
all active interest in railroading in the East. At the same time Mr. Farnam resigned his 
position, and both men were now at liberty to turn their attention to a field which offered 
a better opportunity for the use of their talents. 

Though continuously employed by the Northampton Company for a quarter of a century, 
Mr. Farnam found time to take an active part in the inauguration of the road to New York. 
This period of his life was beset with many discouragements. He had to work hard in the 
serv'ice of the company which was a constant drain upon the owners, and the cause of much 
contention and complaint among New Haven people. He had done this with no material 
reward beyond a small salary. Mr. Sheffield had a correct idea of the situation when he said, 
in speaking of the losses of New Haven people by the canal: " No man in Connecticut lost 
as much as Mr. Farnam, for he lost not only all that he had invested in its stock (which was 
all he had saved of his hard earnings in former years) , but he lost ten or twelve years of the 
prime of life, when he might elsewhere have received large salaries as engineer." These 
years were hard, and yet the}- brought some compensating advantages. For one thing, he 
won the esteem of all his acquaintances for his skill as an engineer, for his judgment in busi- 
ness, for his honest)- and nobility of character, and for his liberality. The canal was also the 
means of bringing him into close personal relations with a number of men upon whose friend- 
ship he looked back in later years with unmixed satisfaction, and whose example was undoubt- 
edly a great inffiience in moulding his own character. Exceedingly complimentary resolutions 
were passed by the New Haven and Northampton Company upon his retirement in 1850. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861- 18(^4. 157 

The period that follows was in sharp contrast with that just past. Twenty-five years 
had now been de\oted to the service of one company. During the next six years, Mr. 
Farnani had charge of the construction of four railroads. He designed and built the first 
bridge over the Mississippi river, and he became the president of the leading railroad system 
of the Northwest. Quick to appreciate the importance which railroads were to have in the 
economic development of the countn.-, he had given proof of his foresight in being one of 
the incorporators of the New York road, and in suggesting the New Haven and Northampton 
road as a substitute for the canal. He .showed equal prescience in seeing that the great field 
for building railroads lay in the West, and that those who wished to operate upon a large 
scale woidd find there abundant opportunities. His first visit to the West was made in the 
fall of 1850, when he went out at the invitation of Mr. William B. Ogden. Mr. Ogden was 
president of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad, which was then in operation only as 
far as Elgin, and he hoped to interest Mr. F^arnam in his enteqirise. The whole country 
was still undeveloped, but he was much impressed l)y what he saw of its possibilities. Before 
committing himself to any project, however, he made a second visit in the same year, this 
time in company with his old friend, Mr. Sheffield, and the two pushed on as far as Rock 
Island on the Mississippi river. 

The Michigan Southern road had come to a standstill at Hillsdale ; its financial condition 
was very weak, and but four miles of the road had been built in 1S50. Mr. Farnam 
proposed to build that portion which was yet unfinished, and to furnish the capital for doing 
it. The proposition was thought to be a daring one, for on the one hand there was con- 
siderable jealousy of Eastern men in the West, which caused many obstacles to be thrown in 
their path, and, on the other hand, there was great distrust of Western enterprises among 
Eastern capitalists. Railroads which are now regarded as sound and conservative investments 
were then considered wild speculations. The proposition, however, was too good to be 
rejected. The contract was made with the firm of Sheffield & Farnam, work was begun, and 
in March, 1852, the first locomotive entered Chicago from the East over the rails of the 
Michigan Southern road. 

The construction of this road was but the preface to the main work for which Mr. Farnam 
went to Chicago. The task that now confronted him was, first, to build a road from Chicago 
to the Mississippi, and then to carry it further and open the way for the first railroad across 
the continent. The firm of Sheffield & Farnam had agreed to build the road from Chicago 
to Rock Island and furnish the capital, provided the charter of the Rock Island & La Salle 
road could be suitably amended. This was accomplished by persistent effort. In April, 1852, 
the work was begun, and on the 22d of February-, 1854, the first train passed over the rails 
from Chicago to Rock Island, and on the loth of July the road was formallj- turned over to 
the company, some eighteen months before the time specified in the contract. The terms of 
the contract are interesting as showing how much was done by the contractors and how little, 
comparatively, by the company. The firm agreed to build and equip the entire line for the 
gross sum of $3,987,688. The rush of travel was so great that even before the completion 
of the road, it was necessar\- to increase the equipment, and in this way the final expense was 
brought to about $4,500,000. 

While the main line of the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad was being constructed, Mr. 
Farnam was engaged in pushing a branch south towards Peoria. This branch was put through 
with the same rapidity that was shown in the constniction of the main line. The contract 
"was signed July 4, 1853, and in less than a year the road was completed and turned over to 
the La Salle Company. Thus before the first si.x months of 1854 had passed, a road had 
been constructed from Chicago to the Mississippi, and a branch had been run as far as Peoria, 



158 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

in the central part of the state. The completion of this undertaking was justly regarded as 
of the first importance to the development both of the state of Illinois and of the whole 
country, and was commemorated by two celebrations. The first was a local affair, and the 
other was national in its character, and was managed by the firm of Sheffield & Farnam on a 
scale proportional to the magnitude of their achievements. 

Mr. Farnam had little time for festivities in those exciting days. His vacations were 
few and there was so much work to be done that e\-ery moment seemed precious. Before 
the Rock Island Road had been completed, he and his associates had already made other 
plans, first for a bridge across the INIississippi River, and then for a railroad to run through 
the state of Iowa to the Missouri. The bridge was built by an independent company of 
which he was president. He also designed the bridge and superintended its construction. 
It was finished in April, 1855. The execution of these projects was beset by many 
difficulties, with more in fact than had been met with in the construction of the Rock 
Island Road, but a lack of space prevents the mention of the details. The railroad through 
Iowa was also built under great difficulties. Mr. Farnam was the leading spirit of this 
enterprise, but unfortunately he could no longer command the services of Mr. Sheffield, 
who felt that he had arrived at a period of life at which he was justified in retiring from 
active business, though he continued to aid the enterprise liberally by subscribing to its 
funds. The special difficulties were gradually overcome and the work of building the 
Mississippi & Missouri Railroad was begun in ^lay, 1855. There was great stringency in 
the money market and much trouble was also experienced in finding a market for securities 
of the road, but a still graver danger presented itself. Mr. Farnam's new partner had un- 
fortunately yielded to the general spirit of speculation which had taken possession of so 
many of the railroad men of that time. The result was that, when the commercial crisis 
of 1857 came, it brought the firm to the vers- brink of ruin. The necessity for an assign- 
ment was overcome by the prompt and vigorous measures taken by Mr. Farnam, and he 
was able to avoid failure. Ultimately he was enabled to extend the road to Grinnell, 
though it was not carried through to the INIissouri until after he had retired from active 
business. 

While these cares were weighing upon him, he was acting as president of the Chicago 
& Rock Island Railroad, and was also for a time the president of the Merchants' Loan 
and Trust Company, a bank of which he was one of the original stockholders. He was 
also actively interested in promoting the plan for extending the railroad system across the 
continent to the Pacific Coast. It is interesting to notice that as early as 1856, Mr. 
Sheffield, in one of his letters, speaks of the desirability of getting a charter for a railroad 
from the Mississippi River to San Francisco, so that this was evidently a part of the 
original plan of the far-sighted men who finished the Michigan Southern road. When the 
time seemed ripe for putting this plan into execution, ]\Ir. Farnam became one of the incor- 
porators of the Union Pacific Company. But he soon found himself entirely out of sympathy 
with the methods by which his associates proposed to conduct the enterprise, and ceased to 
have anything to do with it after the first work of incorporation had been accomplished. 

Mr. Farnam had now been at work continuously since the age of sixteen, and felt the 
need of repose. He was deeply interested in the war in which the country had been plunged, 
but he felt at his age he could do more by his financial support than by any form of personal 
ser\-ice, and he could not remain in this country without becoming constantly involved in all 
kinds of laborious responsibilities. Everything pointed to a trip abroad as the one thing 
needful. In June, 1863, he resigned the presidency of the Rock Island Railroad, and in 
August he started for an extended visit to foreign countries. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. i59 

Of the remainiiisj twenty years of Mr. Farnam's life, five were spent mainly in travel 
abroad, and fifteen in his home in New Haven. In 1868, he returned to the United States 
and took up his residence again in New Haven, the city in which he had passed so many years 
of active life, and in which all of his children had been born. Before the year 1873, four of 
his children had married, and all of them sooner or later made New Haven their home. The 
remainder of his life was spent quietly and peacefully in the management of his property, in 
acts of pul)lic benevolence, and in the enjoyment of the society of his children and grand- 
children. 

One of the chief pleasures of Mr. Farnam's life had always been to do good to others. 
This was so natural and so thoroughly a part of himself that it seems needless, and in truth 
it would be impossible, to mention in detail his acts of kindness and generosity. What he 
gave was always given unostentatiously, and without any desire for notoriety. In some cases, 
however, his name became permanently connected with his gifts. As early as 1863, he gave 
$30,000 to Yale College, to be expended in the erection of a new dormitory. .\t a later period 
he added another $30,000, and the building which this money made it possible to erect in 
1870, and which was the first structure of the new quadrangle, was called by his name. He 
frequently gave smaller sums to the different departments of Yale College, particularly to the 
art school, the library and the divinity school. His gift of the " Farnam drive" of Fast 
Rock Park, connected his name with a feature of the city in which all the people of New 
Haven take a just pride. The hospital, too, interested him constantly, and in addition to 
numerous other gifts, he endowed one of its free beds. The representatives of minor charities 
and public institutions were frequently seen at his house, and seldom went away without some 
substantial expression of his good will. 

Mr. Farnam's health was always robust, and illness was something of which he had no 
experience from the time of his recovery from the malarial fever contracted in the Tonawanda 
swamp until the last few years of his life. The stroke of paralysis which ended his life came 
without warning on Saturday e\ening, Sept. 30, 1883, and he died peacefully and apparently 
without pain on the morning of Oct. 4. 

In all respects Mr. F'arnam's nature was exceptionally well balanced. Thus, while setting 
up a high standard of conduct for himself, he was charitable towards the shortcomings of 
others, and while generous and open-handed, he was never wasteful or extravagant. Busy as 
he was during the greater part of his life, he never allowed himself to become a slave to his 
profession, and always took pleasure in nuisic, art, the drama and nature. His character was 
marked by a singular consistency. He was always the same. He did not have one standard 
of conduct for the counting-room, and another for the home. He did not stoop to practices 
in public life which he would have scorned in his relations towards his friends. He was 
always open, true, and straightforward. 

Mr. Farnam was married Dec. i, 1839, to Ann vSophia Whitman, daughter of William 
Whitman of Farmington. His fi\e children, all of whom survive him, were Dr. George 
Bronson Farnam, William Whitman p-arnam, now treasurer of Yale University, Charles Henn,- 
Farnam, Sarah Sheffield Farnam, wife of Fli Whitney, Jr., and Henry W. Farnam, professor 
of political economy in the Sheffield Scientific School. 




i6o REPRESENTATU'E MEN 



gELDING, ALVAH NORTON, of Rockville, secretary of the Belding Brothers 
Company, and manager of the Rockville Mills, was born in Ashfield, Mass., 
March 27, 1838. 

The Belding family traces its genealogical line to the very beginning of 
the state of Connecticut. William Belding, who was one of the settlers of 
Wethersfield, removed still further westward to Norwalk in 1646. His oldest son, Daniel, 
soon after attaining his majority moved to Hartford, and in 1686 he transferred his residence 
to Deerfield, Mass., where ten years later the greater part of his family were killed or captured 
at the terrible massacre by the Indians. Samuel Belding, son of Daniel, had five children, 
of whom the oldest, Samuel, Jr., located in Ashfield, and was the first clerk after the town 
was incorporated in 1765. His son, John, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and 
probably ser\'ed in the campaign of General Gates which resulted in the surrender of Burgoyne. 
Hiram Belding, yoiuigest son of John, married Mary Wilson, step-daughter of Deacon Dimick 
Ellis of Ashfield. Tliey remained on the old homestead until their family of six children 
were well advanced toward adult age. In 1S55, Mr. Belding removed to Otisco, Mich., and 
purchased what is now the site of Belding in that state. After seeing material progress made 
in the development of the town, he died in 1866. A. N. Belding was the fourth in Hiram 
Belding's family of six children. 

Young Belding's education began in the common schools and ended in the high school 
of his native town. At the age of seventeen he removed to Michigan, where he cleared wild 
lands, and assisted in founding the town of Belding. The energetic spirit of the man, and 
the desire to engage in mercantile transactions, soon made itself manifest. In company with 
his brother, Hiram H., he began the sale of sewing silk from house to house, the material 
being supplied by another brother, Milo M., who was in business in the East. This enterprise 
was a success almost from the start, and at an early period required several teams to transport 
the goods, while the firm controlled the greater part of the jobbing trade of that section. 
In 1863, the three brothers started a house in Chicago, and the same year they formed 
a partnership with Mr. E. K. Rose for the purpose of manufacturing silk. At first they 
rented the lower floor of what was then the Glasgow Thread Company's mill in Rockville, 
and later erected one of the buildings they now occupy. This partnership was dissolved 
in 1866, and for three years the Beldings were not represented in Connecticut. It was in 
1869 that Mr. A. N. Belding decided to renew his connections with Rockville manufacturing, 
and coming to the town he rented the old Leeds Mill, which he carried on till 1871. Then 
the firm bought the mill built under the previous regime^ and have since nrade four additions, 
giving them about three times the capacity of the first mill. Having gotten this enterprise 
into good working order, Mr. Belding purchased a mill at Northampton, Mass., in 1874, 
and commenced the production of silk at that point. Since that time two new mills have 
been erected under his supervision, besides a boiler and engine-house, and here again he 
directed everything until the labor grew too great, and the management was placed in the 
hands of a competent man. His next move was the establishment of a silk factory in a rented 
mill in _]\Iontreal. It was successful from the beginning and soon outgrew its first quarters. 
Mr. Belding then purchased a four-storied mill one hundred and thirty by forty-five feet, 
deeming it sufficient for the business. Two additions, each larger than the original mill, 
have been made, and he had charge till the second mill was in operation, and again distance 
and the demands elsewhere caused him to seek a trusty manager. At Rockville an a\erage 
of five hundred hands are employed, at Northampton six hundred and fifty, and at Montreal 
five hundred. In 1882 the entire business in the East and West was incorporated under the 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6r-iSgf. i6i 

laws of Connecticut as " Beldino^ Brothers & Company," with a capital of $666,000, which 
has since been increased to $1,000,000, and they have a surplus of nearly $900,000. It will 
be seen that Mr. Beldin<f has had practical control of affairs in the East, and it is due to his 
executive ability, combined with an intimate knowledge of mainifacturing, that the marked 
success attained has been secured. Even now, with an experienced manager at both North- 
ampton and Montreal, he keeps a close watch over the details. 

Not only in the East but also in the western town named for Belding Brothers, has Mr. 
Belding's influence been felt most beneficially. In 1877, he planned and supervised the 
erection of a mill for the manufacture of silk, bought all the machinery, and got everything 
in running order. This was afterwards sold to a syndicate, and is known as the "Richardson 
Mill." Four years ago he built another mill for his own firm. It is of brick, three stories 
in height, three hundred and twenty-five by forty-five feet, is fitted with the best modern 
appliances for manufacturing silk, and takes one of the largest engines in ilichigan to furnish 
the power. Belding Brothers have always been noted for their thoughtful care for the welfare 
of their employees, and here it is shown in the comfortable boarding house built under his 
direction. It contains a good library, and is most homelike in its appointments, the morals 
of the girls being looked after as well as their physical comfort. 

In 1890, Mr. Belding assisted in forming the Belding Land & Improvement Com- 
pany, and has been president since its formation. His practical knowledge was of great 
value in laying out the plots of ground, and besides holding the office of president he has 
been the actual manager of the business. The enterprise has proved a financial success, 
and has been of much assistance in the development of the town. The company now owns 
two elegant blocks, a basket mill, and the finest hotel in any small town in the West, in 
addition to other real estate. One incident may be mentioned as showing the pluck of the 
Belding Brothers in their enterprises. An attempt was made to bore an artesian well in the 
vicinity of their mill in Northampton. A depth of 3,700 feet was reached through the 
sandstone, and $32,000 expended and then the whole was abandoned. For the first time in 
its business career the firm had been baffled. The Belding Brothers are also interested in 
the development of the new South. In Tennesee and North Carolina they own 75,000 
acres of land teeming with almost inexhaustible wealth in timber and minerals. 

The bare enumeration of the various official positions held by Mr. Belding will show 
his wide interest in manufacturing and business affairs. Besides being a director and secre- 
tary of the Belding Brothers & Company's silk mill, Rockville, president of the Belding 
Land & Improvement Company, Belding, Mich., and vice-president of the Belding Savings 
Bank, he holds a directorship in the following corporations : Belding, Paul & Company Silk 
Mill of Montreal ; Carlson & Courier Silk Manufacturing Company, San Francisco ; in the 
Miller Casket Company, of Belding, Mich., and the St. Lawrence Marble Company, Gouver- 
neur, N. Y. In Rockville he is a director in the Rockville National Bank, the People's 
Savings Bank, and the American Mills Company, and is a stockholder in several other 
companies. 

Despite his varied multifarious interests, Mr. Belding finds time to devote to the wel- 
fare of the city where he resides, and is one of its most popular citizens. He is a typical, 
energetic. New England business man, possessed of the rare ability to accomplish a great 
many things, and do them all equally well. He has an intuitive faculty of always striking 
when the iron is hot, and, to carry the simile still further, none of the numerous irons 
he has in the fire are ever burnt. Systematic, prompt, thorough, he contrives to throw 
off an amount of work which would be simply appalling to a man of weaker mind, or 
one with a narrower line of business characteristics. Mr. Beldins: is a finn believer in 



1 62 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Republican principles, but by no stretch of the imagination could he be classed as an 
acti\'e politician. So great is his popularity, however, that he was elected to the state 
legislature in 1882, by the largest proportionate vote ever cast in his town, receiving 757 
votes out of a total poll of 901. Reserved on the committees on incorporation and on 
rules, doing good work on both committees. 

Men in business life need something to divert their minds and relax the intense strain 
caused by the competition of the times. Mr. Belding finds both relaxation and pleasure in 
a fine farm in Ellington, which he purchased in 1877. The place has been greatly im- 
proved in the years which have elapsed, and his blooded horses and sleek Jerseys are a 
constant source of pride. 

A. N. Belding was married Jan. 6, 1870, to Lizzie S., daughter of H. A. ]\Ierrick of 
Shelburne Falls, Mass. Two children, a son and a daughter, were the result of this union. 




'AIT, JOHN TURNER, was born at New London, Conn., Aug. 27, 181 1. His 
t father d\ing when he was very young, his mother returned to reside in Norwich, 
^^ which was her birthplace and the home of her relatives, and where her son 
'^ received his early education in the public and select schools of the town. When 
he reached a suitable age he entered the employment of a leading merchant of 
the place and for nearly three years had a mercantile training. Deciding then to follov; the 
profession of the law he resumed his early studies, passed a year at Bacon Academy, Colchester, 
and two years at Washington, now Trinity College, Hartford, pursuing such an academic 
course as would benefit him in the profession which he proposed to enter. He studied law 
with the Hon. L. F. S. Foster and Hon. Jabez W. Huntington, was admitted to the bar in 
1836, and commenced practice at Nonvich, where he has since remained. In 1842, he received 
the appointment of aide-de-camp on the staff of the late Governor Cleveland. He was state's 
attorney for the County of New London in 1842-44 and 1846-54, the duties of which office 
he discharged in a manner that won the approval of the public and gave him a leading 
position at the bar. 

When the Bar Association (jf that county was organized in 1874 he was elected its presi- 
dent and has held the position by unanimous annual reelections to the present time. He was 
the candidate on the Democratic ticket for lieutenant-governor in 1854-55-56-57, but he 
and his associates on the ticket failed of an election. He was the first elector-at-large as a 
War Democrat in 1864, on the Lincoln and Johnson ticket, the Republican Convention nomi- 
nating him for that position by acclamation. He was a member of the state Senate in 1865 
and 1866, being chairman of the committee on the judiciary throughout both sessions, also 
serving in the last vear as president pro tempore. He was a member of the State House of 
Representatives in 1867, 1871 and 1873, serving as speaker the first year, his party nominating 
him for the place by acclamation. Mr. Wait declined that position on his reelections, but 
acted as chairman of the committee on the judiciary on the part of the House, while serving 
on other House committees. He was a candidate for lieutenant-governor on the Republican 
ticket in 1874, but with his associates on the ticket was unsuccessful. In 1876, he was elected 
to the Fortv-fourth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the Hon. H. H. Stark- 
weather, and was reelected to the Forty-fifth, Forty-sixth, Forty-seventh, Forty-eighth and 
Forty-ninth Congresses. After serving for eleven years, he declined a further renomination. 





Z/M 6^//^ 




4 

I 



OF CONNECTICUT, /S6 1-1894. 163 

While a inciiibcr of congress Mr. Wait served on llie connnittee on commerce, on elec- 
tions, on foreign affairs and on several subordinate committees, and was also one of the three 
members of the Honse associated with three members of the Senate, as a joint commission to 
consider the existing organizations of the signal service, geological snrvey, coast and geodetic 
survey and the hydrographic office of the Navy Department, with a view to secure greater 
efficienc\- in these departments. It may also be stated heie that while a member of the 
House of Representatives in 1883, the compliment was bestowed upon him of an appoint- 
uient as chairman of the select committee of the House to attend the unveiling of the statue 
of Prof. Joseph Henry, at Washington, his associates on that committee being among the 
most distinguished and prominent members of the congressional body thus represented. 

As a member of congress, Mr. Wait cared for the interests of his constituency with 
untiring vigilance and zeal. The extensi\e industries which give emplo}-ment to thousands 
of citizens in the two eastern counties of the state had in him an intelligent and watchful 
guardian. As the advocate and friend of home industries, he steadily opposed in Congress 
ever)- attempt to impair or weaken the laws under which Connecticut manufacturing and 
mechanical interests have sprung up and prospered, and gave his support to every measure 
calculated to advance the commercial and agricultural prospects of the state. During his 
ele\en years of service at Washington he was invariably attentive to the demands made 
upon his time and consideration by his constituents in matters affecting their private interests. 
Courteous and frank toward all who approached him, he allied men to him by the strongest 
personal ties, and became universally popular as a consistent representative and champion of 
his district and .state. Before entering upon legislative and congressional duties, iu the interim 
between sessions, and since retiring from public service, ]\Ir. Wait's law practice has been 
extensive and profitable, his connnandiug influence at the bar insuring him all the business 
that could possibly be attended to. F'or forty years he was engaged in nearly all the impor- 
tant cases, civil and criminal, that have come before the New London county courts. His 
practice has included scores of important cases, not only in his own county and the state, but 
before the United States courts, all of which he conducted in a masterly manner, and was 
generally able to bring to a successful and satisfactory termination for his clients. 

Mr. Wait is connected by blood with many of the leading families in Eastern Connecticut. 
On his father's side he is associated with the Griswolds and Mar\ins of Lyme, while on his 
mother's side he is a lineal descendant of William Hyde and Thomas Tracy, two of the thirty- 
five colonists who settled at Norwich in 1659. His family have given many prominent mem- 
bers to the legal profession. Marvin Wait, his father, was born in Lyme in 1746. He was 
admitted to the bar in 1769, when, forming a partnership with Samuel Holden Parsons, then 
King's Attorney for New London county, he remo\'ed to New London and entered at once 
upon the practice of law. He continued this relation until the War of the Revolution when 
IMr. Parsons was appointed a major-general by Congress and entered the army. Mar\in Wait 
soon became a leader in public affairs and prominent at the bar. He was for several years a 
judge at the county court, a presidential elector in 1793 and cast his vote for Washington. 
He represented the town of New London nineteen times in the General Assembly of the 
state, and was one of the commissioners appointed to sell the public lands and e.stabli.sh the 
splendid school fund of Connecticut. He died in 1815. Henry Matson Waite, former chief 
judge of the Supreme Court of Errors of Connecticut, and Morrison R. Waite, late chief 
justice of the United States Supreme Court, sprang from the same stock and were near rela- 
tives of the subject of this sketch. His mother was a daughter of Philip Turner of Norwich, 
a distinguished physician, who ser\ed under General Amherst as assistant surgeon through 
the French war. At the breaking out of the Revolution he was appointed by congress sur- 



1 64 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

geon-general of the eastern department of the army, and filled that position with signal ability 
and credit until near the close of the struggle. He died April 20, 1815, in the 75th year 
of his age, and was buried with military honors in St. Paul's churchyard in the city of New- 
York. His career had been brilliant and his success unequalled. 

In 1842, Mr. Wait married Mrs. Elizabeth Harris, who died in 1868. He has not 
remarried. Three children were born of the union, two of whom still survive. His son, 
Lieutenant ^Marvin Wait, left college and at the age of eighteen enlisted in the Union army, 
as a private in the Eighth Connecticut regiment. He ser\-ed with distinguished courage in 
the field, was highly commended by special mention in the reports and orders of his superior 
officers, and in the gallant charge of the Connecticut Brigade at Antietam he fell mortally 
wounded. Although then but nineteen jears of age he had command of his company in that 
battle. Severely wounded in his right arm he seized his sword with his left, refusing to retire, 
and advancing with his company and encouraging them to press forAvard he fell riddled with 
bullets. The story of his devotion to every detail of duty, his undaunted spirit and his forti- 
tude in battle will be preserved upon Connecticut's historic page with that of Nathan Hale, 
the youthful martyr of the Re\olution. Two daughters of Mr. W^ait are now living, the 
elder the wife of Col. H. W. R. Hoyt of Greenwich, the younger the wife of James H. 
Welles, Esq., of Norwich. 

Those who have known ]\Ir. Wait most intimately in the social 'relations of life bear 
ready testimony to his exceptional worth as a neighbor and friend. He is a gentleman of the 
old school, courteous, hospitable and generous. His literary culture and acquirements have 
been fitly acknowledged by the honors that have been bestowed upon him. In 185 1, Trinity 
College conferred upon him the degree of A.M., and in 1871, Yale College gave him the 
same honor. In 1883, he received from Howard University the degree of LL. D., and Trinity 
College again recognizing his ability and prominence conferred that degree upon him in 1886. 
Mr. Wait is a member of the New London County Historical Society, of the order of the Sons 
of the Revolution and of ^•arious other social organizations. He has been the president 
of the I. K. A., a collegiate society embracing in its membership students and alumni of 
Trinity College, ever since its incorporation by act of the Connecticut legislature. He is one 
of the corporators of the "William W. Backus Hospital" of Norwich, existing under the 
general laws of this state and organized April 8, 1891, to make available the munificent gifts 
of W. W. Backus and William A. Slater for the charitable purpose indicated. He has been, 
ever since the establishment of "The Eliza Huntington Memorial Home" for the aged and 
infirm ladies in Norwich, its president, and as such has managed its affairs with wise prudence 
and in such a manner as to carry out to their fullest extent the generous and benevolent 
purposes of its founders. This institution was created by the benefactions of the late Jede- 
diah Huntington and his wife Eliza, who was a sister of Mr. Wait. The founders provided 
grounds and buildings for the home and $35,000 in cash for its proper maintenance. There 
are many financial and trust institutions in New London county with which ]\Ir. Wait has 
been long prominently and closely identified, officially and otherwise, and with regard to the 
management of which his advice is constantly sought and followed. Want of space forbids 
their mention in detail, but they stand among the foremost in New London county for their 
strength, solidity and importance. John T. Wait is an unusually eloquent and impressive 
orator. His speeches at the bar, in the legislature, in congress, on the stump, and from the 
platform embrace a wide variet}' of subjects, to the consideration of all of which he has 
brought research and learning, wit, logic, breadth of thought, felicity of diction, and a remark- 
ably keen knowledge of human nature. As a leader of his part>- in both branches of the 
General Assembly of Connecticut he was called upon to give frequent expression to his views 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-/894. 165 

on pending qnestions and he never failed to impress his heareis with his power as a debater 
and his grace and skill as an orator. His enlogy on Lincoln, delivered in the state Senate 
in 1S65, and his addresses on assuming the office of speaker of the House at the beginning 
of the session in 1S67, and his retirement from the chair at the close of the same session, are 
models for all similar occasions. As an indication of their respect and affection for Mr. 
Wait, the members of the House presented to him at the time of the final adjournment, a 
set of silver which bears the following inscription : 

PRESENTED TO 

HON. JOHN T. W.\IT, 

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENT.\TIVES, 

M.\Y SESSION, 

EIGHTEEN Hl-NDRED .\Nn SIXTV-SEVEN, 

BY THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE WITHOUT DISTINCTION OF P.\RTV, 

AS \ TESTIMONIAL OF THEIR APPRECIATION OF HIS 

ABILITY, URBANITY AND IMPARTIALITY 

IN DISCHARGING THE DUTIES 

OF THE CHAIR. 

Mr. Wait's congressional speeches were especially effective in producing the results he 
aimed at in their delivery. They were logical, filled with facts clearly stated, unanswerably 
put and were elevated in tone, expression and sentiment. Among the most notable were his 
argument of Dec. 12, 1877, in the Colorado contested election case of Patterson and Belford, 
his speech July 6, 1878, in the California election case of Wigginton and Pacheco, and his 
exposition of the law and facts in the South Carolina case of Smalls and Tillman in 1S82. In 
these cases he set forth the law governing contested elections with such perspicuity and force, 
and with such ample and well selected citations of authorities, that the speeches are themselves 
almost a complete compendium of principles and deci.sions affecting this very important branch 
of law. It is said of one of these speeches that Mr. Wait thereby actually convinced the 
sitting member, whose claim he was opposing, as to the invalidity of his title to a seat. In 
1880, by his effective speech to the House for an appropriation for the New London Navy 
Yard he succeeded against strong opposition in carrying a bill giving $20,000 for a building, 
and in i88i he made a brief but spirited and convincing appeal, replete with patriotic senti- 
ment, by which he obtained an appropriation of $10,000 for repairs to the Groton monument 
and the expenses of the Centennial celebration. He made another clear-cut, epigrammatic 
and effective speech on the Chinese Indenuiity Fund in 1885, in which he laid down and 
enforced the principle of fair dealing between nations in their intercourse with each other and 
carried the House with him in support of his views. One of the ablest and most elaborate 
speeches made upon the tariff question in either branch of congress, in the earnest and intense 
debate of 1884, was made by Mr. Wait. It was a statesmanlike discussion of the subject, 
evincing a profound, practical, historical and philosophical knowledge of the principles 
involved in one of the most important qnestions that has e\er claimed the attention of the 
national legislature. The speech received a wide circulation in pamphlet form and in news- 
papers throughout the country-, and extracts were freely used as campaign docununts b)- the 
Republican managers in the succeeding presidential contest. 

Besides the speeches above mentioned, Mr. Wait while in congress made forcible and 
notable addresses as occasion demanded on extending the benefits of the pension laws, on 
appropriations for geodetic sur\-eys, on international improvements, on the banking system 
and the currency, on educational bills, on the civil service and on many other public questions 
of importance. His intense patriotism led him to make public addresses for the preser\-ation 
of the Uni<_)n before the outbreak of hostilities. Immediately after the first gun was fired at 



1 66 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Sumter, his voice was heard with stirring: snd impassioned eloquence at a public meeting of 
the citizens of Norsvich, convened to aid in the support of the government and to give expres- 
sion to the loyalty of the people. As a presidential elector, and as a candidate for congress 
in six successive campaigns, he was in constant demand as a political orator. It ma}' be 
safely said that there is hardly a town in Windliam and New London counties in which 
he has not been called to discuss publicly the issues involved in pending political struggles 
and always with marked effect. His appearance upon the platform is invariably the signal 
for warm applause. His speech at the Centennial celebration in Groton in 1881 was noted 
for its finished diction and lofty sentiment, and the numerous addresses which are even 
yet demanded from him on all public occasions partake of the qualities mentioned in the 
speeches to which reference has been made. He has been the orator at many Memorial Day 
observ^ances, and his warm and earnest interest in the welfare of veteran soldiers and the deeds 
done by them during the Civil War has sei^^ed to call forth some of his mo.st eloquent efforts, 
filled with beauty of thought and pathos of expres.sion. His various addresses in Woodstock 
at the repeated observances of the Fourth of July for a number of years are full of patriotic 
sentiment and eloquent in thought and language. One of them has been characterized as 
" a gem of oratorical expression and patriotic sentiment." His published eulogy of the late 
Hon. LaFayette S. Foster, delivered Sept. 12, 1880, before the Superior Court at New London, 
on presenting the resolutions adopted by the bar of that county, his speeches at the dedication 
of soldiers' monuments, and at the Norwich centennial celebration, his numerous addresses 
at public meetings on matters of general interest and importance, bear testimony to the versa- 
tility of his genius, to his broad and extended knowledge of widely varied subjects, acquired 
by his habits of patient research and studious application, and to that richness and beauty 
of rhetorical expression which embellish and adorn all his public utterances. As a frequent 
contributor to the press for many years his articles have always been sparkling, clear and full 
of information. He was a writer for Greeley's New Yorker in 1839, and when in 1840 
C. W. Everest prepared a beautiful gift volume and engaged John Williams, now bishop of 
Connecticut, ]\Irs. Sigourney, William James Hamersley, Park Benjamin, James Dixon, Willis 
Gaylord Clark, Robert Turnbull, ]\Ielzar Gardner and other of the brightest writers of the 
day to contribute to it, Mr. Wait's contribution was one of the best of the collection. And 
now, when a special historical event is to be written up, or an obituary notice of some promi- 
nent citizen furuLshed, his ready pen is the finst one thought of to be called into ser\-ice. 

Both before and during his career in congress he accomplished much for deser\'ing soldiers 
and their families. From the beginning of the war he was closely identified with their inter- 
ests and welfare. .So marked and well known was his earnestness in this direction that in 
the history of the part taken by Connecticut in the War of the Rebellion, as written by the 
Rev. John M. Morris and W. A. Crofut, a very high compliment was paid to Mr. Wait by 
the formal dedication of the w'ork to him. The following is the text of the dedication : 
"To John Turner Wait, late Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives, a 
patriot whose only son fell in defense of his cotmtry, and whose many acts of kindness have 
endeared him to the .soldiers of Connecticut, this volume, the record of their services and 
sufferings, is cordially dedicated." 

During his terms of service in congress his labors in behalf of soldiers were onerous and 
invaluable. His prompt and unfailing attention to the unceasing calls that reached him for 
assistance in hastening the settlement of the claims of poverty-stricken veterans and their 
families resulted in lifting burdens from the shoulders of hundreds of worthy applicants and 
brought comfort and happiness into many humble homes. The soldiers of Eastern Con- 
necticut have been prompt and glad to give expression to their appreciation of his efforts 



OF COXXECTICUT, /S61-/S94. 167 

in llicir behalf. .Sedj^wick Post, No. i, G. A. R., located in Norwich, the first Grand Army 
Post established in this state, has shown an especial affection for Mr. Wait and niade him 
iin honorary nicniher. On every parade or pul)lic occasion where the members of the post 
are ceremonially nuistered, Mr. Wait is invited as their honored guest. The sincerity of their 
regard is attested by their presentation to him of a richly engraved badge of solid gold 
which bears the following inscription : " Presented by Sedgwick Post, Number One, G. A. R., 
to the Hon. John T. Wait, the Soldiers' Friend. Norwich, Conn., December Twenty-five, 
Kighteen Hundred and Eighty-seven. 

Nor is it from the soldiers of his town alone that expressions of esteem come to Mr. 
Wait. There is hardly a community in the third congressional district that has not some story 
to tell of his prompt and effective services in behalf of some worthy, disabled veteran. Marvin 
Wait Post, G. A. R., of Dayville, in Windham county, was named in remembrance of his son, 
to whose sers'ice and death in the arm\- reference has been already made in this sketch, and 
as a mark of honor to Mr. Wait, and a recognition of his loyal and untiring devotion to the 
AS'ants and interests of Union soldiers. Mr. Wait is still in active practice, at his ofhce every 
day, enjoying good health, with faculties practically unimpaired. His fourscore years have 
touched him but with a light and gentle hand, and the sincere hope of his unnumbered friends 
that he may long suivive to enjoy the honors and repo.se which he has earned has a promise 
of a rich fulfillment. 




|OYT, HEUSTED W. R., was born in Ridgefield, Conn., on the ist of Novem- 
ber, 1842. His father. Rev. Warner Hoyt, rector of the Episcopal cluirch at 
Ridgefield, died when the subject of this sketch was an infant. He studied in the 
common school and the academy of that town, says the Biography of Couucclicut^ 
and afterwards entered Columbia College, New York City. About the middle 
of his first term at Columbia College he was seized with a severe and protracted illness, and 
■was unable to continue his studies there. On his recovery he immediately began the study 
of law in New York City, and for the period of about two years was secretary of the United 
States prize commissioners for the district of New York. He was admitted to the bar in 1865, 
and commenced practice soon after in Greenwich, Conn., where he rapidly rose to distinction 
as a counsellor at law, being elected to serve the town as its counsel, and the borough as 
attorney. His pleasant address and wonderful command of language, superadded to thorough 
scholarship and profound knowledge of legal principles, contributed greatly to his success as 
an advocate and enabled him in a very short time to gather round him a large clientele. 

He has been engaged in several important litigations, among which may be mentioned 
that he was retained as .sole counsel for the late William M. Tweed, in a suit brought against 
him l)y James H. Ingersoll in the Connecticut Superior court, in which over $160,000 was 
claimed b\- the plaintiff, and defended his client with complete success. While thus winning 
io\ him.self an honorable place in the ranks of the legal profession of his state, his abilities 
as a public speaker early attracted the attention of the Republican party managers, and in 
1869, while still a young man, he was cho.sen a member of the state Senate. Here he acquitted 
himself so well that he was returned in 1873. During both his senatorial terms he was 
entnisted with the discharge of important legislative duties, being appointed chairman of the 
committees on military affairs and engros.sed bills in the former year, and in the latter, chair- 
man of the committee on incorporations. Occupying this honorable station before the 
community, his fellow-citizens of Greenwich were not slow to recognize the abilities of Mr. 



1 68 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

Hoyt, and especially to hold him in high estimation as a public speaker. Few men in the 
state of Connecticut have stood as high in this regard as Mr. Hoyt, and he gained the wide 
reputation he enjo}-ed almost from the outset of his professional career. His platform addresses 
on all public occasions were finished and elegant in style. When the town of Greenwich 
dedicated its handsome monument to its loyal sons who took part in the Civil War, and 
upheld the banner of the republic on the land and on the sea, Colonel Hovt was chosen 
president of the day at the dedicator}- services, and delivered an address which, for the earnest 
patriotism that pervades it, for the vigor of its thought, and the graceful language in which it 
was expressed, deser\-es a permanent place in the public records. A single extract from this 
masterly address is all our space will allow. Having stated at the outset that "no men in 
all history made nobler sacrifices, did braver deeds, or accomplished greater purposes than 
they, no cause ever existed which was higher or holier," he went on to say: 

It has been /said that the teachings of the founders of New England may be summed up in this 
short formula " Faith in God, faith in man, faith iu works." This New England trinity of doctrines was the 
source of that inspiration which impelled the action of the patriots of the war of 1861. The\- had faith in God, 
believing that He intended this Republic to be the most enlightened, the most advanced, the freest and greatest 
nation of the earth. They had faith in man, that, under God, he possessed the ability and virtue to save 
such a nation when its existence was imperilled. They had faith, also, that only by the works of patriot- 
ism and conscience, could that result be accomplished. This faith they had inherited from their fathers. 
It came to them as a birthright. They had drawn it in with their mothers' milk and breathed it in from 
the free air of the northern hills. They were the sons of the buried generations whose obedience to con- 
science had led them to fight for civil and religious liberty iu England, and whose faith in God had brought 
them to the shores of the new world to lay amid dangers and privations the foundations *of a nation dedi- 
cated to humanity and liberty. But for them the days of fighting had gone by. The wilderness had been 
subdued, independence had been gained for them by their fathers. They were bred to the arts of peace. 

In 1886, Mr. Hoyt was elected as a representative from Greenwich to the Connecticut 
legislature, and occupied the leading position both upon the floor and in the committee room, 
being House chairman of the committee on the judiciarx-. He was returned to the Hou.se in 
1887, and in that year was elected to preside over the deliberations of that body as its speaker. 
By his admirable discharge of the important duties of speaker of the House of Representatives 
during its session of 1887, he won marked distinction throughout the state. He was nominated 
as the candidate of the Republican party for speaker by more than the Republican majority. 
His speech upon taking the chair was printed in full in the journal of the House, and is a 
model of brevity and statesmanlike counsel. The people of the state of Connecticut had 
recently adopted a constitutional amendment providing, among other things, for biennial 
instead of annual sessions of the legislature, and a revision of the statutes, and Speaker Hoyt, 
while advising that the members should endeavor to make the session as short as possible, 
reminded them that they must give all needful consideration to the measures that would come 
before them, and that "the efficiency of a legislative body is not to be determined h\ the 
length or volume of its laws, but rather by its careful scrutiny of proposed measures and its 
wise rejection of such changes as are unnecessarj-." He concluded with the following eloquent 
words : 

We follow in the line of men who have done much for Connecticut. Wise and vigorous minds have 
left their impress upon her legislative history. From the feeble settlements planted in the wilderness amid 
doubts and fears, but with faith in the sustaining hand of the .\lmiglity — nurtured amid perils and priva- 
tions — strengthened and invigorated bj' the conflicts of their early years. — swept by the dark shadows of 
revolution and civil war, has arisen a commonwealth distinguished for its patriotism, its enterprise and vir- 
tue, rich in material wealth, but richer — infinitely richer — in the love and devotion of its children. Let us 
enter upon the performance of our duties with a deep appreciation of the worth and dignity of the state 
whose servants we are, so that when our labors are ended, we may ;feel that no step backward has been 
taken, but that our every act has conduced to its continued tranquility and prosperity. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 



169 



Mr. Hoyt performed his duties as speaker with si<;nal aljility, and to the satisfaction of 
all parties. In every measure presented or discussed he manifested a lively interest, and, 
whether in the chair or on the floor, always commanded respect, and wielded an important 
influence in legislative affairs. The thanks of the House were tendered to him at the 
close of the .session, on motion of Mr. Davis of Haddam, the gentleman who had been 
his unsuccessful competitor for election to the office of speaker. In pi'oposing the vote, Mr. 
Davis warmly eulogized his faithfulness, firmness, courtesy and kindness, and his impartial 
conduct to business, purged of partisan feeling, which had so won over the minority of the 
House that all claimed him as their own — "Speaker of no party, but of the entire House 
of Representatives." Other members from both sides of the House joined in this tribute, 
and it was passed unanimously by a rising vote, and the cordial feeling of the whole body 
towards ]\Ir. Hoyt was emphasized by the presentation to him of a beautiful silver service — 
not a very usual ceremony at the close of a legislative session. 

His standing before the bar and the public in his native state was due entirely to the 
excellent use he had made of his gifts and opportunities. They secured for him a numerous 
and profitable clientage, and his legal practice was therefore very extensive. He was trustee 
and attorney for the Greenwich Savings Bank, and a director in the Byram Land Improvement 
Company. He was also attorney for the Bell Haven Land Company and other large corpora- 
tions, and judge of the borough court of Greenwich. One element of his popularity which 
cannot be overrated was his uniform courtesy to all who approached him, his unvarjing kind- 
ness and affability towards the humblest as well as the highest. This cliaracteiistic trait tied 
to him hosts of friends, who were unswen-ing in their attachment. An able debater, quick 
and effective at repartee, and entertaining in conversation, he was socially ven,- popular. In the 
midst of a busy professional life, he was often called upon by his fellow-citizens of Greenwich 
to fill local positions of public trust, and, as a good citizen, he was ever prompt and ready to 
respond to their call. 

Colonel Hoyt married Miss Annie E. Wait, daughter of Hon. John T. Wait, whose 
biography and portrait appear in the preceding pages. Four interesting children were added 
to the family circle. Colonel Hoyt died April 7, 1894, sincerely mourned not only by his 
immediate friends, but also by those who had honoi'ed him in life throughout the state. 




ICHOLS, JA]\IES, of Hartford, president of the National Fire Insurance Company, 
was born in Weston, Fairfield County, Conn., Dec. 25, 1830. 

James Nichols, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, gained an honest 
living bj- tilling the soil, and was the head of a patriarchal family of twel\-e 
children. Of these, Isaac Nichols married Betsy Piatt, and of their children the 
present James Nichols was the second. 

Young Nichols alternated between the public schools as scholar or teacher and his 
father's farm till his twenty-first year. Having decided in early boyhood to become a lawyer, 
his evenings and holidays had been devoted to the study of his chosen profession for se\eral 
years, and now he began a regular course under the tuition of Amos S. Treat. Mr. Nichols 
was admitted to the bar at Danbury in the spring of 1854, and the following April he located 
at Thompsonville, and commenced the practice of his profession. A few months later he 
was appointed assistant clerk of the Hartford County Superior Court, and transferred his 
residence to Hartford, where he has since remained. In 1861, he was elected judge of probate 



I/O REPRESENTA 77 TE MEN 

ill the Hartford district, which embraced the towns of Hartford, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, 
West Hartford, Windsor Locks, East Hartford, and Glastonbury. The position was one of 
great importance, reqniriiio- exceptional ability for the discharge of its duties, and Judge 
Nichols won the admiration of all parties on account of the successful way in which the 
judicial work of the office was performed. He was the first Republican judge for twenty 
years, and after serving three years there was a political change and there has not been 
another judge from that party until the present one. 

Though Mr. Nichols remained in the successful practice of his profession till 1867, for 
several years previously he had been much attracted by the possibilities there were in the 
field of fire insurance. This feeling grew into a desire to have a share in the de\-elopment 
of this ever widening interest. Accepting a position as special agent and adjuster of the 
Merchants' Insurance Company of Hartford, he entered heartily into his new work, and such 
was his zeal that he was rapidly promoted by the board of directors. From the outset he 
manifested especial adaptability for the insurance business, and his legal training often proved 
an excellent help. ' On the death of Mr. E. Thomas Lobdell in 1869, Mr. Nichols 
was made secretar)- of the company, which under the able leadership of Mr. Mark Howard 
was a synonym for strength and good management. Strong as it was, the Merchants' Insur- 
ance Company was unable to recover from the unprecedented disaster at Chicago, and 
consequently surrendered its charter. 

Taking the charter of a company which had been incorporated in 1869, ]\Iessrs. Howard 
and Nichols organized the National Fire Insurance Company in 1871, the former becoming 
president, while the latter was made secretary. Such was the confidence of the old stockolders, 
as well as the business men of the community at large in the integrity, and ability of the two 
men, that $750,000 was subscribed in four days after the books were opened. With a capital 
of $500,000 the new compau}- commenced active business in December, 1871. Mr. How- 
ard's experience was invaluable and his name a tower of strength, but not long after his 
health began to fail and he took a six months' trip to Europe. It was during this time 
that the extensive fire in Boston occurred, causing a loss of about $170,000. A plain state- 
ment of the affairs of the company was made to the stockholders, and their confidence in the 
president and secretary was such that they paid in without hesitation $150,000 in cash, which 
at once placed the company on its feet, and dividends have been paid regularly ever since. 
Mr. Howard's health continued to grow worse, and though his counsel was invaluable, 
backed up as it was by such a long business experience, the laboring oar fell to the secre- 
tary. On the death of Mr. Howard in 1887-, Mr. Nichols succeeded to the presidency, a 
promotion to which he was most fully entitled. 

In September, 1893, the National Company occupied for the first time its elegant 
building on Pearl street. The Hartford Courant gave a full description of its appointments, 
and in the course of the article, after speaking in a complimentary manner of Mr. How- 
ard's connection with the company, it said: 

Judge James Nichols, who had been secretary of the National since its organization, was selected president 
when Mr. Howard died, and under his progressive policy the company has developed rapidly in strength and 
extent of business. The following comparisons will show some of the details of growth, and tell their own 
story of progressive management : 

Assets 
Business .... 
Eastern 
Western 
Pacific 



an. I, 1887. 


Jan. I, 1893. 


Increase. 


11,969,907 


I3. 153.454 


11,183,547 


1887. 


1892. 




J239..-596 


1741,964 


1502,568 


287,867 


1,053.003 


765.136 


41.993 


217.549 


175.556 


$569,256 


12,012,516 


11,443.260 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6i-i8g4. 171 

During this perio;! the Xational has re-insured the risks ami taken the business of the Washington 
Fire & Marine of Boston, the Atlantic of Providence, tlie IVoplc's of New York, the Kenton of Kentucky, 
the Fireman's of Dayton, O,, and the German l-'ire of I'liiladelphia. 

The business of each department shows a great growth in the six years of President Nichols's man- 
agement, increasing almost threefold in that period, and the National has not failed to pay every loss in 
full, and also to p.iy its stockholders regular dividends of lo per cent, a year. 

President Nichols has become one of the veterans of fire insurance. He came to Hartford, a young 
lawyer, in 1854, and at first was assistant clerk of the county court, sul)se(|uently becoming a partner of the 
late Hon. Julius L. Strong. In 1862, and in 1864 and 1865, he was elected judge of probate for this district, 
and in 1870 he became secretary of the old Merchants' Fire Insurance Company. He has been connected 
witli the National ever since its organization — twenty-two years ago. Bringing to it training and practice in 
the law, a large experience of men and affairs, deliberate judgment and shrcw<l foresight, he has proved just 
the man to conduct the affairs of the company in these later and important years of its development, and 
its growth and stability are ample evidence of his executive ability. 

Judge Nichols was very prominently bronglit before the fire underwriters of this country 
in connection with the famous Bennett Brothers' case in Syracuse, he being chairman of 
a committee consisting of himself, Richard D. Alliger, Esq., and ^Ir. Daniel C. Osman, who 
had the case in charge. In this case over $120,000 insurance was involved, twenty-three 
companies were interested, and over $350,000 loss was claimed by the assured. The property 
was located in the centre of a brick block, the upper stories of which were occupied for 
dwellings, and the fire consumed several stores and was attended with great danger to life 
as well as great destruction of property. The assured assigned his property to his creditors, 
among whona were si.xty-three of the leading mercantile firms of New York, who.se debts 
could only be collected from the insurance. These .si.xty-three creditors assumed an active 
part in the pro.secution of the claim, using freely their influence as merchants and insurers 
to compel payment, signing individualh- a memor+al to the companies interested urging the 
settlement of the claim, independent of the committee, and in many instances withdraw- 
ing their patronage from the companies interested. The assured also distributed circulars 
throughout the whole country abusing the committee and demanding that the policies of the 
the companies contesting the claim be refused by the insuring public. 

Notwithstanding the great pressure brought upon the companies to settle the loss not 
one company yielded, but all firmly sustained the committee, and after a long and severely 
contested trial of thirty days' actual session in court, the case was won by the companies, 
a large amount of money saved, a villainous fraud exposed, and the perpetrators punished, 
one turning state's evidence, and living in poverty and shattered health the balance of his 
life ; another committing suicide l)y taking poison to escape a long incarceration in the prison 
to which he had been jusll\- sentenced, and a third dying in an insane asylum, his mind 
broken and liis reason shattered as a result of this terrible crime. 

Judge Nichols and his able associates on the committee were greatly interested in the 
exposing of the outrageous fraud, and their persistent and well-directed efforts in behalf 
of the companies were rewarded by complete and deserved success. This case won for 
him a national reputation and stampec], liim and his coadjutors among the ablest men in 
the profession. 

All of President Nichols's energies are not confined to the successful insurance company of 
which he is the head. He is vice-president of the Charter Oak National Bank, and is a director 
in the Phoenix Life Insurance Company, and a trustee of the Society for Savings, which is 
the largest corporation of the kind in the state. In political matters he has always acted 
with the Republican party, having joined that party at a very early age. His religious 
connections are with the Park Church of Hartford, of which he has been a member 
for many years. He has been a member of the Court of Common Council, and is a 
meml)cr of St. John's Lodge of Masons. The life of President Nichols has been one of 



172 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

thorough success, and his career has been highly honorable throughout. For two score 
3'ears he has lived in the city of Hartford, and he is held in high esteem by its citizens. His 
future career, judging by the past, is full of promise of greater usefulness. 

James Nichols was married July 9, 1861, to Isabelle M., daughter of Nathan Stark- 
weather of Hartford. Three children have been born to them, of whom Helen, now ;Mrs. 
H. A. Smith of Rochester, N. Y., is the only sur\'ivor. 



7''r 




'OIT, ROBERT, president of the New London Northern Railroad, was born in New 
London, April 26, 1830. At the time of his birth the conntr}- seemed to be in 
the throes of preparation for a race of men who should make their mark in the 
councils of the nation, on the field of battle, as well as in various prominent 
places in civil life. A ver}- brief list of the men who came upon the scene of 
action in the years 1830-31, would include President Chester A. Arthur, James G. Blaine, 
B. F. Tracv, and Jere M. L. Rusk in the first named year, and President James A. Garfield, 
Redfield Proctor, John \V. Noble, Thomas L. James, J. C. New, Daniel Manning, members 
of the cabinet, while a long list of Union generals would be headed by the honored name 
of Philip Sheridan, and the array of men prominent in business, literature and fine arts 
could be enumerated b\- scores. 

The Coit name is of Welsh origin. In common with all persons of the same name in 
Connecticut, Mr. Coit traces his descent *froni John Coit, one of the earliest pioneers of the 
state, who came from Gloucester, ]\Iass., in 1650, and first settled in New London. From 
him by successive generations the line comes down to Joshua Coit. He was a graduate of 
Harvard College in the class of 1776, and, choosing the profession of law, he settled in New 
London. During the years from 1784 to 1793, he served almost continuously as a member 
of the General Assembly, part of the time filling the speaker's chair. In the last named 
year he was elected to Congress, and was reelected regularly until his death in 1798. Robert 
Coit, -SOU of Joshua, was born in 1785, and married Charlotte Coit, Oct. 15, 1821. He was 
a leading merchant of New London, and was president of the New London Savings Bank, and 
of the Union Bank, the latter being the oldest institution of the kind in the state, having 
just celebrated its centennial of existence. Of the seven children of Robert and Charlotte 
Coit, Robert was the fourth. On his father's side of the family line, he is a direct descend- 
ant of Elder Brewster of the Mayflower, through his daughter Giace. 

He was prepared for college at excellent private schools in New London and Fannington, 
and, entering Yale, was graduated in the class of 1850. This was the first class to be carried 
entirely through the college curriculum by President Woolsey. In the same class were Rev. 
Leonard Woolsey Bacon, Hon. Ellis H. Roberts, Martin Camp of California, and others of 
lesser note. 

The intricacies of legal technicalities being attractive to his tastes, he began the study 
of law with Hon. William C. Crump, and at the Yale Law School. He w^as admitted to 
the bar of New London County in 1853, and at once commenced the practice of his pro- 
fession in the city of New London. Mr. Coit was elected judge of probate in i860, and filled 
that position for four years. When the Bankruptcy Act was passed he was made register 
for his district, and held that office as long as the law was in force. 

In 1867, Mr. Coit made a change in his business relations. He was offered and accepted 
the treasurership of the New London Northern Railroad, and since that time his life has been 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-181)4. 173 

almost wholly identified with tliat corporation. A few years later he was elected vice- 
president, and soon afterwards promoted to the presidency, and is now filling that responsible 
position. Dnring the qnarter of a century since he became connected with the company, the 
road has been extended bv construction from Amherst to Miller's Falls, and by purchase to 
Brattleboro. The volume of business has nearly doubled, and the value of the stock has 
increased in like proportions. If success be taken as a test ofl executive ability coupled with 
careful management, Mr. Coit may be held up as an example of an excellent railroad official. 
Men of Mr. Coit's stamp are never permitted by their fellows to hide their lights under 
a bushel. In 1879, he was elected mayor of New London by a handsome vote, and received 
the compliment of two reelections. It was during his incumbency of the mayor's chair that 
the centennial celebration of the l)urniug of the town took place, and he added to his previous 
reputation bv the manner in which he handled all the details. The same year he was elected 
to the mayorality he was sent to the General Assembly from New London, and served on 
the judiciary committee and on the committee on constitutional amendments. Mr. Coit was 
elected to the state Senate for two years in 1880, and at the expiration of his -term was 
elected for two years more. In the upper branch of the legislature he ser\'ed as chairman 
of the committees on corporations, on cities and boroughs, on insurance, and was a member 
of other committees. For the last two years he filled the office of president pro hniporc. 
Speaking of his legislative work, the Hartford Post said in January, 1883: 

Hon. Robert Coit, senator for the Ninth District, is one of the best known and most influential members 
of the legislature. The present session will constitute the closing half of his second term as a member of the 
senate, behaving been elected in the fall of 1879, and again in iS8i, by handsome majorities on both occasions. 
.•••♦• In the eastern section of the state Senator Coit possesses great personal popularity, his ability, con- 
scientiousness, and acumen being recogniz.ed by those who are of the opposite political party. 

Mr. Coit's services have been called for by other institutions, and his official positions 
are only limited by the amount of time. He is now president of the Union Bank, and 
treasurer of the New London Steaml)oat Company, and is one of the vice-presidents of the 
Savings Bank of New Loudon. Here is what the Hartford Con rant thinks of Hon. Augustus 
Brandegee, an old time friend of Mr. Coit's, and following that is Mr. Brandegee's 
opinion of the gentleman himself, as expressed in the latter part of 1891 : 

The Hon. Augustus Brandegee, one of the l)rightest and most entertaining and liveliest citizens of Connecti- 
cut, has developed suddenly an amusing notion that he is an old man, and as such he contributes his remi- 
niscences to the Xcii' London Tctezrapb. Of course they are most enjoyable. * • ♦ • He closes his interesting 
article with a sketch of the Hon. Robert Coit, which that gentleman's many friends will read with most 
appreciative commendation : • 

I,ast of all, but not least, I must a say a word of Robert Coit, who though still living has left the bar for 
the more congenial pursuits of business life. He was just entering upon a successful career at the bar, when 
some evil genius persuaded him to take the position of treasurer of the New London Northern Railroad, 
from which he ultimately was promoted to be its president. He had every quality to have made a great 
lawyer, and ultiniatelv a great judge. He was cultured in ancient and modern literature. He was familiar with 
the useful as well as graceful sciences and arts. He had a diction and power of speech when once aroused 
that carried not only persuasion l)ut conviction with it. He knew how to express his thought with the pen 
as well as the tongue in pure luiglish undefileil. He had studied law as a science from its deep English 
foundations and his niiiul was broad enough and strong enough to apply it with its limitations and adap- 
tations to the whole business of life. .Vnd then he had a character as pure as the sunlight, which h.ad come 
to him through a long line of noble ancestors, with whom honesty, fidelity, integrity and honor were heredi- 
tary transmissions, and to whom a stain was a wound. So equipped I hoped to see him pass from the front 
rank of the bar to the front rank of the bench as one of the great names in our judicial history. But 
just as his sun began to mount to its meridian he left the bar for the more congenial activities of a busi- 
ness life as president of the New Lonilon Northern Railroad. To him more than any and all others, it is 
true that the stock of that local corporation, in which so many peoi)le in this vicinity arc interested, 
stands higher in the market, with but two or three exceptions, than any other railroad in the United States. 

The first day of August, 1854, Mr. Coit was united in marriage to Lucretia, daughter 

of William F. Brainard, a prominent lawyer of New London, and a brother of J. G. C. 

Brainard, who gained fame as a poet. Two children have been born to them. One, William 

B. Coit, is now living. He is following in his father's steps in the legal profession, and 

is assistant city attorney of New London. 

23 




174 REPRESENTATIIE MEN 



]ALL, JOHN HENRY, of Hartford, vice-president and treasnrer of Colt's Patent 
Fire Arms ^lannfactnrinjj Compan\-, was born in Portland, Conn., March 24, 
1849. He is a descendant of the ninth generation of John Hall, born in Cam- 
bridge, England, in 1584, who came to this country and settled in Roxbury, Mass., 
in 1633. In September of the same year, he, with John Oldham and two others, 
explored the region bordering the Connecticut River, and their report, dated Jan. 20, 1634, led 
to migrations from Dorchester to Wethersiield, and from Cambridge to Hartford. In the year 
1635, it is recorded he was made "freeman" in Boston. In 1636, he joined the Hooker 
and Stone colony, and went to Hartford, removing his family thither in 1639. He owned 
and occupied as his place of residence a tract of six acres bordering on the Little Ri\er, 
now circled on its southern and eastern aspects by the New York, New Haven and Hartford 
Railroad Company, and overlooking Bushnell Park. In 1650, he moved to ^liddletown, then 
called Mettabesick, being one of the original purchasers of land from the Indians. Samuel 
Hall, of the third generation in this country, in 1719 moved to East Middletown, afterwards 
known as Chatham, and now as Portland, and down to the present generation the family has 
continued to reside there. 

Alfred Hall, of the eighth generation, father of the subject of this sketch, entered Wash- 
ington College, now Trinity, the first day the bell rang for prayers, and his eldest son, 
Samuel, was the first son of a graduate to enter the same college. After his graduation 
Mr. Alfred Hall selected the law as his profession and completed the course of study at the 
Harvard Law School ; at the request of his father, however, he then returned to Portland 
and engaged with him in the direction of the affairs of the brown-stone quarry, known as 
the Shaler & Hall Quarry Company, organized during the Revolutionar\^ War by Nathaniel 
Shaler and Samuel Hall, father of Alfred, and grandfather of John H. Hall. The following 
copy of an advertisement taken from the Middleioicn Gazette or Focdcral ^ldvisci\ published 
in Middletown, Oct. 13, 1781, save in its quaint spelling, would satisfy to-day in its ener- 
getic promise : 

The Free Stone Quarry at Chatham, (known \>\ the name of Johnson's Quarry), is now worked under 
the Direction of -Shaler and Hall, who will supply the Stone at the Shortest Notice, and at the lowest prices 
either in the Ruff or finished, and in such Dimensions as may be required. Thej- will contract to furnish 
any quantity, for public or private Buildings, Flags. Grave Stones or Monuments, and deliver them at any- 
Port in North America. Orders directed (post-paid) to Shaler and Hall at the Quarry, Chatham, will have due 
attention. 

Oct. 13th, 1781. 

Mr. .\lfred Hall succeeded his father in the presidency of the Ouarrv- Company, and for 
many j-ears took an active interest in its affairs. The position for some time past and in 
the present is held by ]Mr. John H. Hall, who, by his energies and progressive manage- 
ment has revohitionized its working, introducing machinerj' up to date, keeping it abreast 
with the times, and causing it to enter upon a new era of prosperity. 

Mr. Hall attended the public school in Portland, went thence to Chase's .school in 
Middletown, and completed his course of study at the Episcopal Academy of Connecticut at 
Cheshire. He preferred business to a professional career and entered into the employ of 
Sturgis, Bennet & Co., 125 and 127 Front- Street, New York, at that time the largest 
importers of tea and coffee in the Lhiited States, where he remained five years, enjoy- 
ing rapid promotion, attaining at the age of nineteen to charge of foreign and insurance 
departments. In December, 1877, he returned to Portland with his family, having purchased 
a large interest in the " Pickering Governor," — at that time in a very depressed condition — 
tinder the firm name of T. R. Pickering & Co. Owing to his tireless energj' and wise 





Vi^iX^aZ^ 




I 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^,4. 



'/:) 



business iiiana.s:eincnt the enterprise became a rapid success. In five years from the time 
of his association with the firm, the manufacture and sale increased from less than five 
hundred a year to five thousand. "Xo pent-up Utica contracts his powers." Successful 
in his competition on this side of the water, he engaged in competition with English 
manufacturers, and the sale of the ' ' Pickering Governor ' ' to Great Britain and her colonies 
now represents per annum three times the original output. When business communication 
is effected with the planet Mars, tlie " Pickering Governor " will probably regulate the first 
flying macliiue and be the first in the field. 

During his ten years' residence in Portland from 1878 to 1888, he was prominent in the 
interests of the town. He was elected president of the vShaler & Hall Quarry Compau)- in 
1884, and refused nominations to both branches of the state legislature, tendered him by the 
dominant party. In 1888, his business, which had been carried on under a partnership, was 
organized as a corporation, Mr. Hall retaining his proprietary interest and holding the position 
of treasurer. About this time the continuous ill health of ]\Ir. R. W. H. Jarvis, president 
of the Colt's Patent p-ire Arms Manufacturing Company, and his consequent retirement from 
active management in the concern, together with the general depression of its business, and 
the resignation of Gen. William B. p-ranklin, determined its board of directors to offer to Mr. 
Hall the position of general manager of the corporation. An arrangement was made satis- 
factory to both parties, and he entered upon the duties of his oflfice with the business acumen 
and untiring zeal and energy so characteristic of him. Although Mr. Jarvis retained the 
presidency, it was understood, owing to his condition of health, that he was to be relieved 
of all the responsibility and care attaching to the office. Mr. Caldwell H. Colt, the vice- 
president, was absent from Hartford the greater portion of the time, so that almost from the 
beginning of his connection with the corporation the entire direction of affairs, both within 
the manufactory and in its relations with the business world at large, devolved upon Mr. Hall. 
The directors, soon assured of his ample capability and worth, supported him loyalh- in the 
changes he ad\ocated, and under his vigorous direction the company has been strengthened 
at home and abroad. 

During his residence of si.\ years in Hartford, his geniality and his business ability have 
received a flattering recognition on the part of its citizens. He has declined nomination to 
municipal office, but, since 1890, has served on the city board of water commissioners, having 
been re-appointed in 1893, upon the expiration of his first term of service. He is director in 
several of Hartford's most prominent corporations, namel)- : The Phcenix Insurance Compan\-, 
the Phoenix :\Iutual Life Insurance Company, the Hartford National Bank, the Dime Savings 
Bank, and was one of the organizers of the Board of Trade, and a member of its first board of 
directors. He is also a director in the Specialty Manufacturing Compan\- and the Neptune 
Meter Conipany of New York. He is a great social favorite, and enjoys membership in the 
Hartford Club, the Manhattan Club, the New York Athletic Club, and the Engineers' Club 
of New York City, the New York Yacht Club, the Larchmont Yacht Club, and the New Haven 
Yacht Club. He belongs to the Sons of the American Revolution, and is a Mason of the 
thirty-second degree, a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 4, and Washington Commandery, 
No. I, of Hartford, and is now ser\-ing as one of the building committee upon the proposed 
new Masonic Temple in Hartford. 

On Feb. 9, 1S70, Mr. Hall married Miss Sarah G. Loines of New York. She is descended 
on her father's side from Quaker stock, and from the Hopkinses of Rhode Island. Her ances- 
tor, Stephen Hopkins, was a very prominent citizen of that honored commonwealth during the 
Revolutionary period. He was chief justice of both the Court of Common Pleas and the 
Superior Court, governor of Rhode Island, and speaker of its Hoifse of Representatives. He 



176 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 

was twice elected to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, and was one of the signers of 
the Declaration of Independence. Their nnion has been blessed with the birth of fonr children, 
two of whom snrvive, ^Ir. Clarence Loines Hall, aged twenty-two, now in the employ of Colt's 
Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, and Miss Grace L,oines Hall, still a blooming 
school girl in her "teens." 

Mr. Hall has always been a member of the Episcopal church, and is now senior warden 
of the parish of the Good Shepherd in the city that is favored by his residence. He is loj-ally 
faithful to the interests he represents, whether of a public or private character, and has stead- 
fastly declined calls to a wider field for the display of his energies, with promise of a moi'e 
lucrative employment. 







USSELL, GURDON WADSWORTH, A. M., M. D., of Hartford, was born in 
that city, April 10, 1815. His parents were John and IMartha (Wadsworth) 
Russell. John Russell was a native of Litchfield, and subsequently became a 
printer and publisher in Hartford. 

After the usual preparatory course, young Russell entered Trinity College, 
and graduated in the class of 1834. Choosing the medical profession as the one in which to 
gain an honorable name for himself, he commenced to prepare for the duties of its exercise 
the same year of his graduation from college, in the office of Dr. A. Brigham of Hartford. 
This gentleman at a later period took charge of the Hartford Retreat, and after that became 
identified with the management of the insane asylum at Utica, N. Y. Matriculating at the 
medical department of Yale College in 1835, he pursued a thorough course of study, and in 
1837 received the diploma of M. D. from that institution. Locating himself at Wethersfield, 
Conn., he prosecuted a successful medical practice in that vicinity for one year, and then 
transferred his residence to Hartford, which, since 1838, has been his home. 

Drawing his inspiration from his old tutor, Dr. Brigham, Dr. Riissell is greatly interested 
in the Retreat for the Insane at Hartford. Desirous of promoting the welfare and progress 
of the institution, in 1875 he erected a completely furnished and handsome chapel, and presented 
it to the corporation for the benefit of the patients under its care. Many observant and 
judicious physicians who have studied how to "minister medicine to minds diseased," regard 
this act of munificence as one of the wisest and most scientific of the long list with which Dr. 
Russell must be credited. Different forms of mental aberration are doubtless induced by 
brooding on religious subjects, especially when aided by other causes ; but it is none the less 
true that the calm, thoughtful inculcation of Christian truth, and the benign influence of 
genuine Christian worship have prevented multitudes of oppressed and wounded souls from 
becoming hopelessly insane. Obsen,'ing the whole field of human experiences, science adapts 
. its measures, as Dr. Russell has done, to the mOst judicious style of human healing and 
happiness. 

Dr. Russell was the first and has been the only medical examiner of the ^-Etna Life 
Insurance Company. In this capacity he has contributed his full share to the grand success 
attained in the forty-three years of its existence. To the building up of a great life company, 
ability in managing the finances is necessary ; energj' and ]Mish are required to secure lousiness 
in the face of competition, but all these would be of no avail without the closest scrutiny of 
the risks incurred. That Dr. Russell's services have found read)- appreciation, let the follow- 
ing sentiments from a speech of Governor Bulkeley's before an assemblage of the agents of 
the company in June, 1892, bear witness : 



OF CONNECTICUT, /S61-1S94. 177 

With a single exception, I appear licre to-niglil. not only as the president of the .Etna Life Insurance 
Company, but as the seroml oldest livinj; employee of that institution. There is but one person living to-ilav who 
was connected with the company from its organization, and is connected with it at the present time. The most of 
you general agents have had many occasions to appreciate, and sometimes complain of, the manner in which he 
has performed his duties. When I tell you that our medical examiner, Dr. Gurdon W. Russell, was elected 
medical examiner of the company at its very organization, and occupies that position to-day, you will recognize 
a name with which you are all familiar, and one to whom the company, its agents, and its policy holders, are 
greatlv indebted for years of generous .service. (Applause.) 

Recognized by his fellow practitioners as one of the leaders of his j^rofession in the state 
for many years, they have naturally asked him to accept honors at their hands. Dr. Russell 
has ser\-cd as president of the Connecticut State Medical Society, and in other official capacities 
in connection with count)- and city societies. The reputation of his professional abilities has 
extended far beyond the limits of his native state. For one year Dr. Rus.sell was vice-president 
of the American Medical Association. Of late years, for reasons satisfactory to himself, Dr. 
Rus.sell has partially withdrawn from the exclusive pnrstiit of his profession, and lias devoted 
nnich time and energy to various philanthropic enterprises. Successful labors in his chosen 
field of action brought ample resources in their train, and he has wi.sely and unostentatiously 
contributed to various worthy charities connected and unconnected with the medical pro- 
fession. 

Gurdon W. Russell was married in 1838, to Elizabeth S. Tuttle. She departed this life 
in 187 1. 




?HAFFEE, JOSEPH DWIGHT, of Willimantic, president of the Natchaug Silk 
% Company, and ex-member of the state Senate, was l^orn in Mansfield, Conn., 
Aug. 9, 1847. 

Frederick Chaffee, grandfather of Colonel Chaffee, was a farmer in prosper- 
^^^ ous circumstances. He married Eliza Knowlton of Ashford, Conn., and their 

only son, Orwell S. Chaffee, was bom in that town in 1823. O. S. Chaffee inherited no taste 
for agriculture, though brought up on a farm, and, after receiving a limited education, he 
went to Northampton and served a regular apprenticeship at the trade of silk manufacturing 
in that place. Transferring his residence to Mansfield, he married Lucinda A., daughter of 
Jo.seph Conant, one of the most successful silk manufacturers of the town. Engaging in busi- 
ness with his father-in-law, he became prominent in the realms of business life, and was ever 
recognized as a public-spirited citizen. He contributed no little to the development of the 
silk industry of Connecticut, and at one time represented his town in the state legi.slature. 
He was the father of three children, of whom J. D. Chaffee was the oldest. 

Joseph Dwight Chaffee had the best advantages afforded by his native place in the way 
of education. Of an intensely practical turn of mind, professional life had no attractions 
for him, his choice being always for more stirring scenes of the business world. At the aire 
of Sixteen he began preparations for his future career by taking a thorough training in all the 
processes of silk manufacturing in his father's mill. Under his father's careful instniction 
he ma.stered ever\- detail of manufacture, became an expert in the machinery employed, and 
at the same time he acquired great familiarity with the best ways of marketing the products 
of the null. In 1872, he was admitted to partnership in his father's business, and the firm 
name was changed to O. S. Chaffee & Son. At this time the plant was removed to Williman- 
tic, and additional facilities secured to meet the demands of the growing business. Prosperity 
attended their efforts, and new and larger mills were required, together with more machinery. 
Ever>: modern device which would tend to improve the qualit\- of the goods was added at 



178 REPRESEXTATirE MEN 

once, and the firm has gained a reputation among the first silk manufacturers of the country. 
With increasing years, Mr. O. S. Chaffee gradually withdrew from active participation in 
the business, and its management naturally devolved upon the junior partner. At the death 
of his father, in 1887, Mr. J. D. Chaffee became sole proprietor of the business, and has since 
carried it on in the most successful manner. Connecticut now ranks third in the silk industry 
of the United States, and it is due to the founders and present owner of the Willimantic mill 
to record the fact that their skill, intelligence and enterprise have been factors of no small 
moment in bringing about this desirable result. 

In political life, ]\Ir. Chaffee is a thoroughgoing Republican, and from the day he cast 
his first vote he has taken an active interest in the public affairs of his town and state. He 
was elected, in 1874, a representative to the legislature from Mansfield, and, though one of the 
youngest members of that body, he made a good record for himself. Business duties pressing 
upon him, he declined a second term. In 1885, he accepted the Republican nomination for 
the Senate from the Twenty-fourth district, and against a strong opponent was elected by a 
handsome majority. While in the Senate, he served as chairman of the committees on fish- 
eries and on labor, the latter being an entirely new one on the list. Some perplexing questions 
came before each committee, but Mr. Chaffee had the satisfaction of seeing all of his reports 
adopted. 

Shortly after leaving the Senate in 1887, he was siirprised at being appointed aide-de- 
camp on the staff of Governor Lounsbury, with the rank and commission of colonel in the 
National Guard of the state. Though devoid of all militaiy training, Mr. Chaffee is exceed- 
ingly popular in military circles. While at the State House he was the fnend and advocate 
of every measure brought forward to benefit or increase the efficiency of the state militia in 
any direction. This fact will doubtless account both for the appointment and the popularity. 
He is recognized among the manufacturers of the state as a man of energy and possessed of 
the most advanced and progressive views. Since 1887, he has been president of the Natchaug 
Silk Company. He is a director in the W. G. & A. R. Momson Machine Company, one 
of the leading corporations of the state, and also has served on the board of several other 
companies. 

Says a sketch of him: "Mr. Chaffee's honorable career as a business man, his faithful 
service as a public official, and his unsullied private character, have placed him high in the 
esteem of his fellow-citizens generally, and those employed in his mills speak of him as a 
considerate friend of labor, who recognizes that the advancement of the moral and material 
welfare of all wage earners is a dut}- not only demanded by justice, but earnestly called for 
by the wisest business policy." 

J. D. Chaffee was married Sept. 12, 1867, to Martha, daughter of George B. Armstrong 
of Mansfield. They have three children, Arthur Dwight, Charles Howard and Gertrude 
Armstrong. 



OF CONNECTICUT, i86i-iSg4. 179 

ANDERS, GEORGE :MARCELLUS, of New Britain, ex- member of Cons^ess, 
and vice-president of the Landers, Frar\- & Clark Mannfactnrino; Company, was 

^^!?S^ born at Lenox, ^Lass., Feb. 22, 1813. He was the son of Marcelhis and Marietta 

;^0^^^^ Hoyt Landers. His grandfather, Capt. Asahel Landers, served two vears in 
' tlie Revohitionary Army, and was with Gen. Anthony Wayne at the exciting 

capture of Stony Point. His father served in the War of 181 2. 

Wlien he was seven years old his father moved from Leno.x to Hartford and was a teacher 
in what was then the Center or Stone School. His father died in 1824, and young Landers, 
eleven years old, returned to Lenox to live with his grandfather. His education was limited 
to that which could be obtained in the public schools. At the age of sixteen he was appren- 
ticed to Aaron Hart of New Britain, for the purpose of learning the carpenter's and joiner's 
trade. After working as a journeyman for some years he engaged in l)usiness on his own 
account, erecting his own house and other buildings in the town. Perceiving that manu- 
facturing promised surer and at the same time more prompt returns than could be secured 
in the trade he had learned, he decided to enter the new field. First with Josiah Dewey 
about 1S40, and later by himself in his own name, he had a shop near his house. The 
specialties made were furniture casters and window springs. In 1841-42, Mr. Landers Ijuilt 
a shop on East Main street, and commenced the manufacture of coat and hat hooks, and 
other small articles of manufacture. Energ}- and a careful attention to details soon made 
themselves felt, and he built up a flourishing business. In 1S53, a company was organ- 
ized under the joint stock coqDoration act, known as the Landers & Smith Manufacturing 
Company. .Additions were made to the shop and the operations considerably enlarged. The 
business of p-rar^,-, Carey & Company of ^leridcn was purchased in 1862, and the capital 
increased to $50,000. At this time Mr. Smith retired and James D. Frarv of the Meriden 
company came in, the company being reorganized by special act of the legislature, as Landers, 
Frary & Clark, a name it still retains. The number of articles made was increased, and the 
amount of business became larger than ever before. Table cutler\- was added to the variety 
of goods already made four years later, and the .^tna works were built and new machinerv- 
introduced. The works were destroyed by fire in 1874, but they were imniediately rebuilt 
on a larger scale and supplied with improved machinery-. The small beginnings of over 
fifty years ago Mr. Landers has seen grow into an imnien.se corporation, doing an extensive 
and successful business in all parts of the country. 

When Berlin first petitioned that New Britain be set off as a new town, the division was 
opposed, because only one representative was allowed, and Mr. Landers, with other gentlemen, 
appeared before a committee of the legislature to give reasons for the opposition. New Britain 
had become more populous than the other two parishes taken together, and cast a majority 
of the votes. As a result of the protest, the town was allowed two representatives. At the 
election which followed, Ethan A. Andrews was chosen one representative, and Mr. Landers 
the other. The History of Ne-a' Britain says: "These men by their wisdom, firmness and 
harmony secured important advantages to the town." He was again returned to the lower 
branch of the General Assembly in 1867 and 1874. 

In 1853, and again in 1869 and 1873, he was sent to the state Senate from the first 
senatorial district. At this time Hartford, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, Beriin, 
New Britain and Southington were all included in this district. He was the Senate chair- 
man of the committee of the legislature that secured the change in plans for the new state 
Capitol, although contracts had been entered into for the constmction of an inferior build- 
ing. He was elected to the Forty-fourth Congress in 1875, and was reelected in 1877, and 
rendered valuable ser\'ices to his state and district during his tenn of ofiice. 



i8o REPRESENTArn'E MEN 

]\[r. Landers has been identified with most of the important measures of progress in the 
town and city since their incorporation. In Jnne, 1857, the town voted to accept "An act 
to supply the borough of New Britain with water for public and private purposes," and 
that Messrs. F. T. Stanley, and H. E. Russell and Mr. Landers be appointed a board of 
commissioners to carry out the provisions of the act. They proceeded at once with the work, 
which was promptly executed according to a general plan, but owing to the careful manage- 
ment of the commissioners, it was completed at considerably less cost than was first 
estimated. Such records are of rare occurrence. 

Mr. Landers was one of the first board of sewer commissioners that had gfeneral charee 
of issuing sewer bonds and constructing and supervising the sewers of the city. The work, 
though expensive, was economically and successfully prosecuted, and by constant vigilance 
the commissioners secured to the city, without any charge for their services, a svstem of 
sewerage at once efficient and satisfactory. In the Library Association of New Britain ■Nlr. 
Landers took a deep interest, and served at one time as president, but this organization finally 
passed out of existence. When the New Britain Institute and Library Association was formed 
in 1S53, he was chosen vice-president, and he was one of the incorporators of the New Britain 
Institute in 1858. He was a member of the school committee for several years, and was 
chairman of the committee having charge of the erection of the Normal School building. He 
was one of the first park commissioners appointed in 1869, and in this capacity rendered 
valuable service to the city. 

For many years Mr. Landers was a director of the New Britain National Bank, resigning 
in 1878 to accept his appointment as bank commissioner. He was again appointed to this 
office in 1887 by Governor Lounsbury. He was one of the incorporators of the New Britain 
Gas Light Compan\-, a member of the first board of directors, and from 1865 to 1893 he served 
as president of the company. A share of Mr. Landers's time has been devoted to railroad 
matters. He was one of the incorporators of the New Britain Railroad, and for a long series 
of years was a director in the New York & New England Railroad. 

In every movement which has taken place for the last half-centixry to advance the material 
prosperity of New Britain, Mr. Landers's influence has been felt. His fourscore years sit 
lightly on his shoulders, and his bearing is that of a sprightly gentleman of seventy. Honored 
most by those who know him best, it is to be hoped that he may be spared yet many years. 




;A".-rT"|EALY, WILLIAM ARNOLD, of Hartford, was born in Scituate, R. I., Sept. 
i^ O 7i ^^815. His father, Thomas Healy, was of English origin, his ancestors 
having come to Rhode Island in 1730. Through his mother. Patience Arnold, 
j\Ir. Healy was able to trace his ancestry in an unbroken line back to Yuir, a 
Welsh king, who flourished about the middle of the twelfth century. The 
Arnolds were a \vell-known and prominent family, and intimately connected with the early 
history of Rhode Island. Mr. Healy was also a direct descendant from Roger Williams, 
the founder of the State of Rhode Island. 

After receiving a common scfiool education, he went to Packerville at the age of seven- 
teen, entering the store of Mr. Danijel Packer. Mr. Packer was a man of large property and 
varied business interests, owning most of the town of Packervdlle, which was named after him. 
Upon the death of Mr. Packer, Mr. Healy was appointed agent and manager of his extensive 
business interests in Packerville, and in this position displayed marked ability and faithfulness. 




^.=^ 




OF COXXECTICL'T, 1861-1894. 181 

In July, 1853, Mr. Healy went to West \'irginia as the representative of a syndicate 
composed mostly of Hartford gentlemen : Mr. E. A. Bulkeley, father of E.x-Govemor Bulkelev, 
Hezekiah Huntington, John Warburton, Daniel Phillips and others. This syndicate had 
purchased a large tract of land in Mason county, and sent Mr. Healy there to develop the coal 
and salt resources which were supposed to exist there. Mr. Healy started the work under 
the charter of the Mason County Mining and Manufacturing Company, and Hartford Citv, a 
town of several thousand inhabitants situated upon the banks of the Ohio, was founded by 
him in the prosecution of this enterprise. The chief factor of profit in the business proved to 
be in the production of salt which was vigorously and successfully carried on. 

In 1859, Mr. Healy, with the cooperation of Hon. B. B. Horton, the president of a 
neighboring salt company, fonned a syndicate comprising all the salt companies on the Ohio 
river. The name of the new combination was the Ohio River Salt Company, and Mr. Horton 
was elected president, while Mr. Healy was appointed selling agent. This position necessitated 
his remo\"al to Cincinnati, and he at once plunged into great business activity. The output of 
the new salt company was not less than a half millions barrels yearly, and Mr. Healy had the 
entire charge of selling this large product. When the war broke out, water freight rates 
became ver\- high, and he saw that there was a large profit to be derived from steamboats. 
Accordingly, in compan\- with Mr. I. B. Davis, a steamboat named the Crescent Cit>- was 
bought and partially paid for. Shortly after her purcha.se she was chartered by the United 
States government and remained in the ser\ice of the government for twenty months, when 
she was sold at a handsome advance over the purchase price. The success of this venture 
led to further investments in steamboats, and many boats were built and handled by Mr. 
Healy and Mr. Davis with satisfactor}- profits. 

Living in Cincinnati, Mr. Healy was in a centre of stir and excitement while the war 
lasted, and it was during this period that he laid the foundation of his fortune, as the high 
prices which prevailed made large and profitable operations possible. One transaction in salt 
deserxes mention not only for its successful issue, but as an illustration of the integrity of a 
Southerner. When the war broke out, the Ohio River Salt Company had a large quantity of 
salt at Xash\ille, Tenn., consigned to a merchant by the name of Mallet. The company con- 
sidered this salt as an almost total loss, and Mr. Healy, with two other gentlemen, made the 
company an offer for it which was accepted. Salt soon rose to a high figure in the Con- 
federacy, and Mr. Mallet sold the entire consignment at an extremely handsome profit. But 
when Mr. Healy's agent went to Nashville to settle the accounts and receive the money. 
General Polk had established martial law in Nashville and had issued an order that no 
money should be allowed to go through the lines. Mr. Mallet, however, by bringing to bear 
powerful personal influence, succeeded in obtaining a pass allowing the agent to go through 
the lines without being searched. He thereupon departed by train and reached Cincinnati 
safely with his money, this being the last train which went out of Nashville for many months. 

While in Cincinnati, Mr. Healy was widely known and respected. His abilit\- and 
integrity were universally recognized, and he was regarded as one of the leading business men 
of the city. He was a director of the Merchants' National Bank, a large and prosperous 
institution, and whose president, Mr. H. C. Yergason, was brought when a young man from 
Hartford to Cincinnati by Mr. Healy, taking the position of teller, from which he steadily 
advanced to the presidcncx . 

In 1866, Mr. Healy left Cincinnati, owing to the poor health of his wife, and came to 
New York, where he entered the wholesale coal business in partnership x\-ith Elisha and 
Daniel Packer, sons of his old employer at Packer\-ille. He remained in New York a little 
more than two years, when he was again obliged to change his residence, owing to Mrs. 

*4 



1 82 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

Healy's continued ill-health, and in 1868 he came to Hartford, making his home at first in 
the Allyn House. A little later he purchased the property situated on tlie corner of High and 
Walnut streets, formerly occupied by the poetess, Lydia Sigourney. Here he erected a com- 
modious residence, where he resided until his death. 

Mr. Healy soon began to make himself felt in Hartford business circles. The first posi- 
tion held by him was the presidency of the National Screw Company, to which he was elected 
upon the death of the former president, Hon. William Faxon. He continued in this position 
until the company became merged with the Providence Screw Company in 1876. One of the 
most important and successful of business achievements was the resuscitation of the Pratt & 
Whitney Company, one of the finest machine shops in the world. At the time Mr. Healy 
became interested in this company, its "fortunes had fallen to a low ebb, and it was on the 
verge of bankmptcv. Mr. Healy advanced a large sum of money, took charge of its finances, 
and in a few \ears had the satisfaction of seeing the concern prosperous and paying regular 
dividends. Mr. Healy was a director in many local institutions, and his advice and aid were 
sought for on all sides. His business experience had been so wide and varied that his judg- 
ment was much broader and more comprehensive than that of the business specialist. He 
was an excellent judge of commercial paper, and bought large quantities j'early, rarely 
making a loss. 

His characteristics were courage, good judgment and strict integrity. He had the courage 
of his convictions to an unusual degree, but was not rash in forming an opinion or over-hasty 
in reaching a conclusion. Lo\ing business for its own sake, its atmosphere was as necessary 
to his happiness as the breath of life to his existence. His integrity and honesty were well 
known, and having once made an agreement he could be relied upon to carry out his part 
to the letter, even though at a financial loss. He had a generous heart and feelings as 
tender as those of a woman, though often concealed under a somewhat .stern exterior. 
Many deeds of kindness and charity, unknown save to the recipient and himself, might be 
chronicled, and numerous young men were quieth- helped by him who owed their later success 
to his kindness and encouragement. 

Among the institutions with which Mr. Healy was officially connected, in addition to 
those already mentioned, are the following : The Pratt & Cady Company, the Billings &. 
Spencer Company, the Capewell Horse Nail Company, the Hartford Electric Light Company, 
the Norwich Bleachery" Company, the Yantic Woollen Company, the Hudson River Water 
Power and Paper Company, the American National Bank, the Iowa Mortgage Company, the 
Dime Savings Bank, and others of lesser note. 

The following newspaper extracts will serve to show the estimation in which Mr. Healy 
was held in Hartford. Among other things the Courant said : " The deceased was a man 
whose counsels in business matters were valuable, and they were appreciated by financial and 
business men of this city. To a clear head and discriminating mind he had added the 
advantages of a successful business life, varied in character and extensive in scope. He had 
kindly feelings and a frank and pleasant way of dealing with his fellow men. Socially he 
was agreeable, always gentle, manly and courteous. He was ever ready to lend a helping 
hand, and, while con.servative and reasonably cautious, he dared to embark in enterprises 
from which more timid minds shrank." 

The following extract is from the Post : " Mr. Healy was in all respects an able and judi- 
cious business man, and will be greatly missed in Hartford, where he has been known and 
honored for a long period. He was careful and conservative, but never hesitated to engage 
in new enterprises when his judgment was enlisted in their favor. His prepossessions were 
always in support of business men, and a great many successful people in this city owe their 
prosperity to his stimulating interest in them." 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 183 

Mr. Healy was married to Susan Clark Moore of Jewctt City, Conn., July 21, 1841. 
Two children were the fruit of this union, William Arnold Healy, born in Packerville, in 
1852, and Susie Virj^inia Healy, born in Hartford City, W. Va., in 1859. The son lived 
but two years, dying in 1854. Mrs. Healy died in Hartford, ^lay 13, 1879, and Mr. Healy 
survived her six years, the date of his death being Sept. 29, 1885. Miss Healy was married 
in April, USS5, to Mr. John vS. Camp of IVIiddletown, Conn. 




/f^UGUR, PHINEAS ^HLLER, of Middlef^eld, pomologLst of the State Board of 
i-j Agriculture, and vice-president for Connecticut of the American Pomological 
Society, was born in Middlefield, Feb. 8, 1826. He was the only child of 
Phineas and Esther (Kirby) Atigur, who lived to adult age, being a grandson 
of Deacon Prosper Augur, and a descendant, in the sixth generation, of Robert 
Augur, who settled in New Haven Colony, and married Mary Gilbert, daughter of Deputy 
Governor Gilbert, Nov. 20, 1673. 

After receiving a good education in the common English branches in the public schools, 
he entered an academy and gained still further instruction in Latin, higher mathematics, and 
natural science. The faculty of imparting information was strong in Mr. Augur, and he 
began to teach in the Durham Academy, following this up with work in the old Wells 
Graimnar School in Hartford and elsewhere. This experience had, with close study, fitted 
him for the position of sur\e}-or, and soon after he was married he was appointed county 
surveyor, and some years later sun-eyor-general's deputy for Middlesex. County, an office he 
filled for several years. During this time he made a survey and map of Middlefield, with the 
necessar}^ post roads, compiling statistics, etc., which David Lyman u.sed successfully at 
Washington in securing the establishment of a postoffice at Middlefield. 

That Mr. Augur was held in high esteem in his own town, is best evidenced by the 
confidence shown in him by its citizens, especially in the matter of conferring office upon him. 
In 1866, when Middlefield was set off from iVIiddletown, he was chosen sole assessor, and 
made out the first assessment list of the town, a piece of work which required much care and 
excellent judgment. He was elected a member of the first board of education, and held that 
office for twenty-five years, and was justice of the peace from the organization of the town 
until 1S84. In 1869, he was scut to represent the town in the General Assembly, and while 
he was at the state capitol he served as a member of the committee on incorporations, and 
was the author of several bills now on the statute books. 

Mr. Augur, when first married, settled on the fann which had previously belonged to his 
father and grandfather, and lived there until the time of his death. He taught school only 
one or two winters after he was married. He was employed a considerable portion of the 
ti.;ne in his early life in surveying in j\Iiddletown and adjoining towns, but he gave up that 
business in 1869 to his oldest son. He had always been an enthusiast in fruit culture, and 
had established the business of growing and selling fruit trees, plants, shrubbery', etc., his 
two youngest sons being associated with him, under the name of P. ]\L Augur & Sons. 

When the Middlefield Farmers' Club was organized, Mr. Augur was appointed secretary, 
and by successive elections held that office for many years. His prominence and reputation 
as a fanner secured him an election as member of the State Board of Agriculture in 1869, 
but after two years' ser\-ice he declined a reelection. Three years later, however, he was 
chosen pomologist of the State Board of Agriculture, and acted in that capacity until his death. 



i84 REPRESEXTATIJ'E MEN 

It was while he was in this office that he rendered his most important ser\-ice to the state at 
large. In the early part of 1876, he was delegated by the board to make a collection of the 
agricnltnral products of Connecticut for the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia. Although 
a \-ery small and inadequate sum had been appropriated by the State Centennial Commission 
for the purpose, by close economy an exhibit was made which, in excellence, extent and 
variety of grains, corn, fmits, vegetables and seeds, was regarded as among the very best. 
It was specially remarkable from the great number of fruits of Connecticut origin. 

Throughout his life Mr. Augur was always an independent thinker, sympathizing with 
the anti-slaver)' movement, with temperance reform, and civil service reform. His \oice 
was ever heard and his \-ote cast in favor of the best common roads, the best common schools, 
and the improvement of the villages of the state. A strong believer in economy, he condemned 
extravagance either in public or private life. In early life he united with the Congregational 
church of Middlefield, and in 1850, was elected' deacon of the church, and for over thirty 
3'ears he filled that office. Mr. Augur was a life member of the Massachusetts Horticultural 
Society, and was vice-president for Connecticut of the American Pomological Society for 
several jears, and was also a member of the State Horticultural Societ)-. 

Almost from his youth he was interested in the cause of temperance, and though he had 
been an enthusiastic Republican, in 1884, he joined the ranks of the Prohibition party. In 
1890, he was the candidate of the party for the governorship of the state. His election was 
not anticipated, but he received a very complimentary vote. 

Mr. Augur was one of the best known farmers in the United States. Original but 
practical in his methods, he made frequent and valued contributions to the leading agricultural 
publications. He was always an active supporter of educational and humane institutions, 
and in this way did nuich to advance the moral welfare of the state in which he was bom, in 
which he lived his useful life, and in which he died. 

To Mr. Augur's influence and effort the town of INIiddlefield is largely indebted for its 
excellent school-houses. When he began his married life, all the school-houses in Middlefield 
School Society, were of the old style, with plain wooden benches, and desks around the outside 
of the room. Resolved never to send his children to school until a better school-house should 
be built in his own district, he began to work for a new school-house. A beautiful site was 
finally purchased, and the district voted to build a new school-house, and Mr. Augur was 
chosen chairman of the building committee. He spent nuich time in examining the best and 
most modern schc^ol-houses in the state, and in planning for the new one in his own district. 
It was finally completed, with all the improvements then known in the arrangement of rooms 
and furniture, method for heating and ventilating, reference library, circulating library, etc. 
In a comparatively short time all the other three districts, of what is now the town of Middle- 
field, had new school-houses of similar arrangement and construction. With modern school- 
houses of such excellence, there was a demand for only the best teachers. 

Just before he attained his majority, Mr. Augur was united in marriage to INIiss Lucy 
E. Parmelee of Guilford, a lady of marked worth and excellence. Three sons and two 
daughters were born to them. E. P. Augur, the oldest son, is now city surveyor of Middle- 
town. Alfred and Charles carrj' on the business in wdiich they had been engaged with their 
father. The two daughters, Lucy and Mar>-, are both married and reside in Guilford, Conn. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 185 

SELLOCjG. STKPHEX WRIGHT, ex-iiiember of Congress, and a distinguished 
member of the Waterbury bar, was born in Shelburne, Mass., April 5, 1822. 
Mr. Kellogg descends from Revolutionary stock. The Biography of Con- 
ucilicut says that "his great-grandfather, Lieut. Jacob Pool of Massachusetts, 
was second in connnand of the company of troops raised in Franklin county, 
in that .state, whicli formed part of the small army, under General .Vrnokl, that left Cam- 
bridge on September 11, 1775, penetrated the wilderness of Maine, and boldly marching 
across the intervening territory, climbed the Heights of Abraham and attacked the strongly 
fortified citadel of Quebec, before the walls of which the gallant patriot died. The grand- 
father also of General Kellogg, although then but a lad of si.xteen years, served in the 
American army during the last year of the successful struggle for independence." 

The parents of the subject of this sketch wei^e Jacob Pool Kellogg and Lucy W. Kellogg, 
the latter the daiighter of Stephen Wright of Westford, ]Mass. His early years were spent 
upon his father's farm. Ha\ing completed the usual course in the district school he entered 
the academv at Shelburne F'alls, of which the Rev. John Alden was then the esteemed 
principal. Later he studied at the excellent private school in the same village, kept by 
Alvin Anderson, his warm friend. While pursuing this advanced course of stud\-, which 
occupied him from his sixteenth to his twentieth year, he taught the district school in the 
winter months, and during the entire summer worked upon his father's farm. At the age 
of twent)' he entered Amherst College, where he passed two terms of the freshman year. 
In the spring of 1843, he entered the freshman class in Yale College. Three j-ears later he 
was graduated there, taking one of the first three honors of his class, in the same class with 
Governor Harrison, always his warm friend. After graduation he had charge of an academy 
at Wilbraham, Mass., for a few months. In the winter of 1846, he began the study of law 
in the Yale Law School, and at the same time took a position as instructor in Greek in 
the classical school then kept by the Hon. Aaron N. Skinner at New Haven. Mr. Kellogg 
successfully passed the required examination for admission to the bar in the summer of 1848, 
and was admitted at the same time with Governor Harrison, and at once entered upon the 
practice of law, ojiening his first office at Xaugatuck. Six years later he removed his law 
office to W'aterbury, where he permanently established his home. 

In 1S53, he was elected to represent the fifth district in the State Senate, of which, in 
1851, he had been the clerk, and in 1856 he represented the town of Waterbury in the 
Connecticut Hotise of Representatives. He was offered the nomination of speaker of the House 
by the caucus, but declined in favor of an older colleague. His high legal attainments were 
appropriately recognized in 1S54 by his appointment as judge of the New Haven County 
Court, and by his .selection the same year for the office of judge of probate for the district 
of Waterbury, in which capacity he ser\ed seven years. He was a delegate to the Repub- 
lican national convention at Chicago in i860, and a member of the committee on platform, 
upon which the Republican party won its first national victory under the lead of Abraham 
Lincoln. He was also appointed delegate to the national convention of 186S, and was 
chairman of the Connecticut delegation in the national convention of 1876 at Cincinnati. 
As an ardent Union man Mr. Kellogg gave his cordial support to the Federal government 
during the Rebellion period, and loyally aided his state in every patriotic effort to maintain 
the integrity and dignity of the nation. Becoming connected with the militan,- forces of 
Connecticiit he rose rapidly to the rank of colonel of the Second Regiment, a position he 
held three years. He took a leading part immediately after the war in the work of organ- 
izing the National Guard of the state to take the place of the militia, and drafted and pro- 



1 86 REPRESENTATIIE MEN 

cured the passage of the bill which secured this result. The terui " National Guard," and 
the system of organization first introduced by him in that state, have since been adopted 
b}- a large number of the states of the Union. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier- 
general in the Connecticut National Guard in 1866, and served as such until the absorbing 
nature of his ofhcial duties in the national legislature compelled him to tender his resignation, 
which was reluctantly accepted by the state authorities, who thoroughly appreciated his 
intelligent labors in connection with the state troops. 

The soundness of Mr. Kellogg' s \iews upon national questions led to his nomination 
for Congress in the second district of Connecticut in the early part of 1S69. In this canvass 
his personal popularity was no unimportant factor, as the majority of the voters of the dis- 
trict were politically opposed to him. Elected by a flattering majority over his opponent he 
took his seat in the Forty-first Congrees and served therein with marked distinction for a 
new member. His success in maintaining the interests of Connecticut in the national legis- 
lature and tlie prominent part he took in the tariff legislation of 1870 led to his renomina- 
tion for Congress in 1871, and the same services sufhced to wipe out the political antago- 
nism of many voters of the opposite party, and to secure his reelection. In the Forty- 
second Congress his recoi'd was even more brilliant than during the preceding, he having be- 
come thoroughly familiar with the customs and precedents which obtain at the national capital. 
At the close of his second term he was reelected aud served a third. While in Congress he 
performed most effective work on a number of important committees, among them being 
those on the judiciary, patents, war claims. Pacific railroads, na\-al expenditures and civil 
service reform. He was chairman of the committee on naval expenditures in the Forty- 
second Congress, and of that on civil service reform in the Forty-third, and as such was 
untiring in his labors. His successful efforts in behalf of the improvement of the harbors of 
Connecticut, which had long been neglected by Congress, won him the gratitude of the peo- 
ple of the state irrespective of party and added greatly to his political strength. 

The fact that on each occasion when he was elected to Congress, it was necessar*- to 
overcome an opposition majority of fully twenty-five hundred votes in the district, attests the 
high appreciation in which his services were held by the public at large. A leading Demo- 
cratic lawyer of New Haven, the late Hon. Alfred Blackman, used often to say that " Mr. 
Kellogg was the best congressman the state ever had." General Kellogg was one of the first 
to perceive the nccessit\- for reorganizing both the war and treasury departments at Wash- 
ington. Each had completely outgrown the original provisions under which it was conducted, 
and relief could only be effected by radical changes. The treasury department, in particular, 
having been run on a system inaugurated some forty 3'ears previously, had Ijeconie unwiekh-, 
" having grown to immense proportions by means of appropriation bills passed as the necessi- 
ties of the service required, especially during the Civil War." This department is still 
carried on under the enactments as prepared by General Kellogg. He was renominated by 
acclamation for the Forty-fourth Congress in the spring of 1875, as Connecticut then held 
its elections in April. Most members of that Congress had been elected the preceding Nov- 
ember, and the House already elected was Democratic by about eighty majorit}-. That fact 
contributed largely to his defeat, and the tide of Democratic success was then at its full 
height, for though he ran nearly fifteen hundred ahead of his ticket, it was not enough 
to overcome the large Democratic majority of the district. He then retired from public life 
to recover his law practice, which had been very large when he entered Congress. He had 
ne\-er left his duties in the House during its session to try a single case in the whole six 
years, but had tried such cases as he could during vacation, and his law practice had 
suffered by his close attention to his public duties. 



OF CONNECT/CUT, 1S6/-/S94. 187 

He declined the nomination for governor in US78, being president of the convention 
that made the nomination, and when the Repnblicans had elected a majority for the legis- 
lature for the first time in five years, he publicly withdrew his name from the list of can- 
didates for Ignited States senator then to be elected. As a lawyer his reputation is based 
on profound knowledge, general as well as special, his power as an advocate, and on a 
brilliant and unsullied career of nearly half a century at the Connecticut bar. Although 
confining himself of late years very closely to his professional duties, he has not in the least 
degree relinquished his deep interest in public affairs, and on a number of occasions has pub- 
lished his views upon important questions, principally through articles written for the press. 
In 188 1, two days after President Garfield was shot, he prepared an article in regard to 
the presidential succession, which was gi\en wide publicit)' in the papers of the country, 
and attracted great attention. At that time there was but a single life — that of \'ice- 
President Arthur — between organized government and anarchy. In the article referred to 
General Kellogg proposed and advocated the exact system of presidential succession that was 
some years afterwards adopted by Congress after long debates upon the subject. Therefore 
to him justly belongs the credit for the conception and the first presentation of the present 
order of succession, by wdiich, in the event of the death or incapacity of both president and 
vice-president, the chief magistracy of the nation devolves upon the members of the cabinet, 
beginning with the secretary of state. 

Full of years and honors, and rich in the esteem of the public. General Kellogg stands 
before his fellow-citizens over "threescore and ten," with a stronger mentality and phvsiqne 
than fall to the lot of most men who reach that ripe age ; his well-ordered and temperate 
life leaving him to-da}- in the possession of every faculty unimpaired, and with unlimited 
powers of application and usefulness. 

He was married Sept. 10, 185 1, to Lucia Hosmer Andrews, a great-granddaughter of 
Hon. Titus Hosmer, a member of the Continental Congress in 1778-79, and from 1780 until 
his death a judge of the maritime court of appeals of the United States. Another great-grand- 
father of this esteemed lady was Major-Gen. Samuel Holden Parsons of the Revolution. Her 
grandfather was the eminent jurist, Stephen Titus Hosmer, for thirty years a member of the 
supreme court of Connecticut, and during a large portion of this period chief justice. There 
are six living children by this marriage, the oldest son, Frank \V. Kellogg, being an ofHcer 
in the navy. Two other sons have adopted the legal profession, one being now a student 
in the Yale Law .School. A inomising son, John P. Kellogg, also a lawyer, is associated 
in practice with his father. The three daughters of General Kellogg arc all married and live 
in New Haven and Waterburj-, Conn. 




^ORGAX, JUNIUS SPENCER, although not a native of Connecticut, was 
long a resident, and never lost his interest in its affairs, and finally chose the 
capital of the state as his last resting-place. He was born in West Springfield 
(now Holyoke), Mass., April 14, 1S13, and is a lineal descendant of Miles 
Morgan, one of the first settlers of Springfield. The latter was born in Bristol, 
England, in 1616, and, being a younger son and of a venturesome disposition, he concei\ed 
the idea of joining one of the many \essels that conveyed emigrants from his native town to 
America. He arrived in Boston on one of these in April, 1636, and soon afterward penetrated, 
with an expedition headed by Colonel Pyratreon, into the wilderness, and settled at what is 
now Springfield, Ma-^s. He built for himself a fortified block hou.se on the bank of the 



1 88 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

Connecticut river, on the site now occupied by the car shops of the Connecticut River Rail- 
road. Not long after his arrival in Springfield, he married Prudence Gilbert, a fellow 
passenger on the voyage from Bristol. When the sacking of Springfield occurred. Captain 
Morgan's block house became the fortress of the place, and after the burning of the settlement, 
held out until messengers had been despatched to Hadley, and thirty-si.x men (the standing 
army of the colony of Massachusetts Bay), under command of Capt. Samuel Appleton, marched 
to Springfield and raised the siege. A colossal bronze statue of Capt. ^liles Morgan, which 
stands in the court house square of Springfield, shows him in huntsman's dress, jacket, boots, 
and cocked hat, with a rifle o\er his shoulder. 

From the heroic .settler, the family line comes down by successive generations, to Joseph 
Morgan. He married Sarah Spencer, and was the father of the subject of this article. 

After attending several schools and receiving only a limited education, Mr. Morgan 
began his business career with Alfred Welles of Boston in April, 1829, and remained in his 
employ until reaching his majority. In July, 1834, he entered the banking house of Morgan, 
Ketchum & Company of New York, but, after eighteen months' ser\'ice, he decided to remove 
to Hartford. On the first of April, 1836, he became the junior partner in the firm of Howe, 
Mather & Company, which did a large and successful dry goods business when Hartford was 
the centre of an extended trade in that line. The firm was changed to Mather, Morgan & 
Compau)-, Feb. i, 1850, but it was dissolved a \-ear later when ]\Ir. Morgan, at a very urgent 
invitation, went to Boston to join James M. Beebe in the same business. The new concern 
was known as James Vl. Beebe, Morgan & Company, and it became one of the largest in the 
country. No small share of the success attained can be laid to Mr. Morgan's energetic 
efforts and recognized executive ability. It was in 1850 that he went to Europe for the first 
time, and while there he met ]\Ir. George Peabody, upon whom lie made so favorable an 
impression that, a few years after, \\x. Peabody offered him a partnership in his firm. This 
exceedingly flattering offer was accepted, and in October, 1854, he entered the firm of George 
Peabody & Co. Ten }ears later Mr. Peabod}- retired, and the firm of J. S. Morgan & Co. took 
the place of the older concern. Under his name the house increased in strength and influence 
until it was rightly ranked among the trio of great banking houses of the world. Always a 
staunch friend of American institutions, during the War of the Rebellion, at frequent inteiA-als, 
he rendered valuable assistance in England to the government of this country. 

As an authorit\- in mone}- matters, Mr. Morgan's opinion was quoted and accepted on the 
bourses of EurojDe, while his financial transactions have been marked by pronounced success. 
His engineering of the French loan in 1870, known ever since as the ]\Iorgan loan, was accom- 
plished imder such difficult circumstances as to establish his reputation more than any other 
single transaction up to that time. Mr. Morgan's occasional visits to America were always the 
signal for complimentary receptions. On one occasion, when a banquet was given to him in 
New York, special trains brought friends from Baltimore, Harrisburg and Boston, and Ex-Gov- 
ernor Tilden of New York, Gov. A. H. Rice of ^Massachusetts, Governor Hartranft of Penn- 
sylvania, Ex-Governor Hawley of Connecticut, and Ex-Secretary ]\IcCuIloch were among those 
who delivered addresses. 

While in Hartford he entered actively into its social and public affairs. He was one of 
the corporators of the Young Men's Institute, and served as trustee for two years, being vice- 
president of the organization in 1839. A consistent member of Christ Church, he was a 
member of the vestry from 1845 to 1849, and into his religious work he put the same zeal 
which he did into his business transactions. From 1849 to 1853 he was one of the advisers of 
the Orphan Asylum. P'or several years he was a member of the Governor's Foot Guard. 



OF CONXECTICUT, i86i-rS<)4. 189 

Mr. ?kIor^'an al\va\s niaintaiiied his interest in Hartford and its institntions, and has made 
numerous generous gifts to their support. Among them were Trinity College and the Hartford 
Orphan Asvlum, giving to the latter a sum of money to be called the Sarah Morgan fund, in 
memory of his mother, i\Irs. Sarah Spencer Morgan. 

In 1887, he gave a large and \'aluable painting by vSir Joshua Reynolds, which he had 
purchased for that purpose, to the IMetropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The 
exact cost of this act of thoughtfulness was never known, but it ran well into the thousands 
of dollars. His magnificent donation of $100,000 to the fund of the free public library of 
Hartford, coming at the time it did, gave such inspiration to those who were behind the 
movement that it practically made the enterprise an assured .success. His private gifts to 
cases of need, to philanthropic institutions, and to the cause of the Master whom he profes.sed 
to serve, will never be known until the books are opened at that last great day when the 
secrets of all hearts shall be laid bare. 

Junius S. Morgan was married to Juliet, daughter of John Pierpont, the poet. Mrs. 
Morgan died in 1880. Mr. Morgan died at Monte Carlo, April 8, 1890, having passed by 
seven years the three score and ten allotted to man. His death was caused by injuries received 
by jumping from his carriage while the horses were unmanageable. The surviving children 
are J. Pierpont Morgan, head of the firm of Drexel, Morgan & Company, New York; Sarah, 
wife of George H. Morgan of New York ; Mary, wife of Walter Burns, active partner of 
J. S. Morgan & Company, London, and Juliette, wife of Rev. John Morgan of Paris, brother 
of George H. Morgan of New York. The famil}- connections are numerous in Hartford and 
vicinity. 

Perhaps the best tribute to Mr. Morgan's memory appeared in the Hartford Coiirant. 
The day after his death that sterling Connecticut journal said editorially : 

Mr. Junius S. Morgan died \-esterday without rallying from the shock received last Thursday, and Hart- 
ford loses one of its best friends, and the business world loses one of its most successful and honored leaders. 
Mr. Morgan has become very rich, and his wealth has been acquired in a straightforward, honorable way, in 
striking contrast to the manner in which so many of the uineteenth century fortunes have been secured. 
When the name of Morgan is associated with a business matter the public confidence is at once assured. In 
the great railroad enterprises that the firm has taken up in this country it has always acted to save and never 
to wreck, and the title to its great wealth is a clean one. Jlr. Morgan began his active life in Hartford, and 
the city and its people always held a place in his affections. It was his home from the time he was four years 
old until he went into business, and for years he was in business here. His son, J. Pierpont, was born here, 
and spent his boyhood in this city. Father and son have shown their interest in Hartford very recently by 
their princely gifts of fioo.ooo and ^50,000 for the Free Public Library, and before that Mr. Morgan had 
given liberally to the Orphan Asylum, and to Trinity College and other local objects. 

All Hartford has reason to hold him in affectionate remembrance for what he has done for us, and the 
news of his death will bring grief to thousands who never saw him. Those who did know him personally and 
■well, speak of him, as for years thej' have spoken of him, with peculiar tenderness. His generous impulses 
came from a kind heart and a sweet nature, and the manner in which he put his good wishes into shape 
of practical assistance, made his aid doubly welcome. We have seen some of his public benefactions, but it 
is understood that in private life among friends and acquaintances he was continually and most kindly using 
for the benefit of others the wealth that he possessed. The pleasure that he found in being rich lay in the oppor- 
tunity it gave him for doing good. Mr. Morgan's name is known throughout the business world. He was 
one of the conspicuously rich men of this age of great fortunes. .■Vnd to occupy such a position and yet 
be known for the honesty with which he acquired and the kindness and liberality with which he gave, is as great 
a fortune as his wealth and a more precious possession. 

In telling the story of Mr. Morgan's life, the historian of the Connecticut Historical 
Society used the following words: 

He joined this society December 6, 1843, four years after its organization, and how well he kept it in 
nieinory during his residence in a foreign land, and how ardent his friendship for it was, is proved by the 
frequent valuable contributions he made to its treasures, and especially by that rare and princely gift, recently 
made, our acknowle<lginent of which could only have reached him a few days before his death. And what more 

as 



igo REPRESENTATIIE MEN 

filling place Ihau this could there be to publish that ackuowledgment : The Connecticut Historical Societ}-, in 
acknowledging the gift from Mr. Junius S. Morgan of the colossal work, " Fac similes of manuscripts in European 
Archives relating to America, 1773-83," is conscious that no ordinary form of thanks is adequate to express its feel- 
ing at once of the donor's generosity, and of his fine judgment in the selection of a gift. Not alone is it of 
a cost far beyond the present or probable resources of the societ}-, and therefore most unlikely to have come 
into our possession in any other way, but it will be incomparably the most massive and most valuable collec- 
tion of original documents on American history j-et published ; being especially of unique value as consisting 
of photographic fac similes of the documents themselves, thus putting the humblest student on a level, iu 
capacity of original research, with the wealthy and leisured or official classes, who can visit foreign capitals, 
and ransack foreign libraries without stint. This enormous collection, to which this society gave its endors- 
ment years ago, has been made possible only by private subscriptions, necessarily limited ; and therefore Mr. 
Morgan, in becoming for our benefit one of the small number of subscribers, is not alone conferring on this society 
a benefit of incalculable historic value, but is aiding to make certain the accomplishment of the work itself, 
and thus earning the gratitude of Americans and students of American institutions everywhere. The period 
covered by the collection, including as it does the proximate genesis of the Revolution, that war itself, and 
the negotiations by which our independence was assured, is perhaps the most important, probably the most 
intricate, and certainly in foreign lands the least understood period of our history ; and the work is therefore 
not only an intellectual but a patriotic service of high order. 

In view of these facts, the Connecticut Historical Society as a body, and individually, express to Jlr. Mor- 
gan their deep and enduring gratitude and appreciation for his most generous and judicious gift to themselves, 
his aid in securing from failure a stupendous and valuable historical labor, and his patriotic services as an 
American, in aiding a truer knowledge of his country's acts and motives in her crucial time; and their trust 
aud belief that the studies which this gift will stimulate and enable to be carried on, will mature into work 
that in honoring Hariford will also honor her munificent son. It is the will of the society that the fore- 
going expression of thanks be properly engrossed and forwarded by the Secretary to Mr. Morgan. 




|EXRY, EDWARD STEVENS, mayor of Rockville, and ex-state treasurer, was 
born in Gill, Mass., Feb. 10, 1836. 

The Battle of the Boyne was one of those decisive conflicts in the history 
of the world whose influence has been far reaching in its effects. It settled 
the religious status of England for a long series of years. In this sanguinary 
struggle, David Henry, a sturdy North of England yeoman, took part, serving under the colors 
of William of Orange, and after peace was declared he settled in Coleraine, iu the north of 
Ireland, on a grant of land given him by the king. His son, Hugh Henry, the founder of 
the family to which Air. Henr\' belongs, was one of the members of an organized colony 
which emigrated from the vicinity of Coleraine in 1733, and settled in what was then known 
as " Boston Township, No. 2," and subsequently became the town of Coleraine, ]\Iass. He 
was a man of nmch force of character. His son Benjamin was a soldier in the French and 
Indian Wars, serving in the company called Roger's Rangers, under General Israel Putnam. 
Removing to the town of Halifax, he was for seventeen years a member of the Vermont Legis- 
lature. In the third generation, David Henry, probably named for his patriotic ancestor, was 
one of the first settlers of Heath, Mass., and lived till by seven years he had passed the four- 
score allotted to man. His son, Edward Fish Henry, was a fanner by occupation. He married 
Elisa A.', daughter of Dr. Simon A. Stevens of Guilford, Vt., who bore him six children, and 
of these E. Stevens was the oldest. 

The family moved to Rockville, Tolland County, Conn., when E. Stevens was very 
young, and at that place the lad received his education, attending the public schools and also 
the local academy. At the age of nineteen he began active life. Coming from an old and 
highly-respected family, well educated and endowed with natural talents of a superior order, 
the young man proved a welcome accession to the business connnunity of the place. Taking 
a lively interest in public affairs, he soon made his mark, and at an age when many persons of 



I 



OF COXXECTICUT, 1861-1S94. 191 

no mean capacit\' are still comparatively obscure, he had obtained for himself general recogni- 
tion as one of the most intelligent and progressive citizens of the town. Both directly and 
indirectly he has been unceasing in his efforts to promote its business interests, and, in the 
broadest sense, the welfare of its inhabitants. He has taken a most active and prominent 
part in founding and fostering several of its leading financial institutions, among them the 
People's Savings Bank, of which he has been the managing officer since its organization in 
1870, and also the First National Bank of Rockville, and of which he was for many years a 
director. He was likewise one of the incorporators of the First National Bank of Willimantic, 
of which he is still a director. Another important fiduciary trust held by him is the treas- 
urership of the Tolland County Mutual Fire Insurance Company. 

A man of the highest personal character, of proven integrity, energy, reliable and public- 
spirited, Mr. Henry has been honored by his fellow-citizens with a number of public trusts. 
For fifteen years he sat as an active trial justice at Rockville. A zealous Republican in 
politics, he was nominated by his part}' to represent his town in the state legislature, and 
though having as an opponent one of the strongest men that the Democrats could bring 
forward for the office, he was elected by a flattering majority. In 1887, he was elected to the 
state Senate to represent the Twenty-third senatorial district. During these two terms he 
served on several very important committees and distinguished hiiiLself by his close attention 
to public affairs. In the summer of 1888, he was sent as a delegate-at-large from Connec- 
ticut to the Republican National Convention, at Chicago, and in the canvass which resulted 
in the election of General Harrison to the presidency he took an active part in his state. In 
1888, his abilities were appropriately recognized by his nomination for the office of treasurer 
of the state, and he was elected, the heavy vote he received bearing ample testimony to his 
repute and to the general confidence reposed in his integrity. As state treasurer, Mr. Henrj' 
gave the citizens of Connecticut a clean administration of this important branch of the state 
government, and has instituted a number of reforms in the minor workings of the department, 
which have been productive of much benefit. 

Said the Ha7-tford Coitrant^ speaking of his renomination : 

His administration of the treasury has been admirable, and he has had to work under the disadvantage of 
new laws and new circumstances. He has so managed these that he has been able to get rid of the state tax 
altogether, and, with no added burden on the people, to save them say half a million dollars a year in direct 
taxes. He is a useful part of the new machinery of taxation established by the last legislature, and by reason of 
his experience cau carry on the department at this time better than an equally good man could to whom the 
position was new. Hence for business reasons his renomination seems a<lvisablc, to say nothing of his personal 
strength as a candidate on the ticket. The convention will nominate a strong and the successful ticket, and do it 
without discord or dissension ; and if Mr. Henry is renominated for treasurer the state will be sure of capable and 
economical management of its finances for the next two years. 

After the election, complications regarding the counting of the votes ensued, and then 
followed two years in the history of the state the scenes of which it is to be hoped will 
ne\er be repeated. 

Mr. Henn.- was nominated for congressional honors in 1892, and though he polled the 
full .strength of his party, it was not a good year for Republican candidates, and he failed 
of election. Under a caption of "A Thoroughly Good Nomination," a Connecticut paper 
thus alluded to his fitness for the position : 

The Republican congressional convention on Saturday merely responded to popular feeling and expectation 
in the party when it nominated E. Stevens Henry by acclamation. His unquestioned fitness for the place and his 
personal popularity make him as strong a candiilate as could be selected, and he has the advantage of an excep- 
tional record as treasurer of the state for the past four years. In that time the state tax has been removed, the 
state debt reduced by the payment of all obligations which were due, or on which there was an option of payment, 
and the revenues have been largely increased. In the peculiar complications arising from the failure of the Demo- 



192 REPRESENTATIIE MEN 

cratic Senate to cooperate in electing state officers, Mr. Henr3-'s firmness and sound judgment have been repeatedly 
exemplified, and have strengthened the claim on the confidence of the people which he had established during a 
long course of service in both branches of the I,egislature, and in the several financial institutions with which he 
has been connected. No better or stronger candidate can be found in either party, and with him victory should 
be assured. 

Rockville took a place among the sisterhood of Connecticut cities in 1893, and at the 
first election in December of that year, Mr. Henry was chosen vsxaxox by a handsome majority 
over his Democratic competitor, the most popular man who could be pitted against him. 

Although a sturdy Republican, he has the confidence and good will of hundreds of his 
Democratic fellow-citizens, many of whom have voted for him every time he has been a 
candidate for office, believing him to be above mere partisanship in the discharge of public 
trust as the sequel has always proved him to be. In Tolland county, it is probable that no 
office-holder for years has won and held the respect of the general public to such a degree 
as Mr. Henry. As a state officer, he vastly increased his personal popularity, and added 
greatly to the strength of his party. In private life, he is a gentleman of irreproachable 
character, kindly sympathies and liberal views. 

He was married on Feb. 11, i860, to Miss Lucina E. Dewey of Lebanon, Conn. The 
Dewey family is one of the oldest in Connecticut, and the ancestors of Mrs. Henry- were 
among the first settlers of L,ebanon. Mr. and Mrs. Henry have one child, a daughter. 




fROFUT, HENRY, of Daubury, one of the leading hat manufacturers of 
Connecticut, was Ijorn in Danbury, April 20, 1820. 

His ancestors for several generations were Connecticut people of the 
sturdy middle class. Isaac Crofut, his grandfather, lived near Bethel, and 
from there his father, Jared Crofut, came to Danbury in the early part of the 
century-. Jared Crofut married Grace Drew of Redding, and became the father of three 
boys and three girls, and of the half dozen, Henry was the third. 

The limited amount of education young Crofut received was obtained in the district 
schools and later at evening schools. Put on a farm at the age of nine \ears, he remained 
there for seven years, doing the "chores" and otherwise carrying out the ordinary duties 
of a farmer's boy of the times. At sixteen, he decided to leave agricultural pursuits and 
devote his energies to manufacturing. Accordingly he entered the employ of Abijah 
Tweedy of Danbury and served a regular apprenticeship of five years at the hatting trade. 
Such was his application to business and quick comprehension of the principles of hat 
manufacturing, that Mr. Crofut was made foreman of the shop before he attained his 
majority. He worked as foreman for nine years, gaining experience in business manage- 
ment each succeeding year. In 1853, he went into manufacturing with William Tweedy, 
son of Abijah Tweedy, as partner, the latter furnishing the capital for the new concern. 
This partnership lasted until 1856, when it was dissolved, and the firm of Crofut, Bates & 
Wyman was formed, and a complete new factory was erected. The financial crisis of 
1857-58 was too severe a strain for the youthful partners, and they were obliged to fail. 
Personal friends in New York and Danbury helped Mr. Crofut to purchase the old plant in 
1859, and start afresh on his own account. In 1863, he took Rollo Nichols, his son-in-law, 
into the firm as partner, and the name was changed to Henry Crofut & Co., and two years 
later another son-in-law, Joseph White, was added to the concern. On the death of Mr. 
Nichols, the firm became Crofut & White, which it still remains. Mr. Crofut started in to 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 193 

do a safe business, even if a small one, but during the war his business grew to immense 
proportions. One branch was the manufacture of a popular kind of hats for the California 
trade, but these hats have long ago passed out of style, though they were ven,- popular in 
their day. The twenty employees at the first have grown to an average of over ten times 
that number in later >ears. The factory was burned in 1892, but was rebuilt at once larger 
and more convenient than before. The firm makes an excellent line of medium priced 
goods, both in stiff and soft hats, and their reputation is second to none in the state. 

Mr. Crofut's energies have been largely confined to the manufacturing business of 
which he is the head. Still, he found time to assist in forming the Union Savings Rank 
in 1S67, and served as vice president for many years, and he has been one of the directors 
of the Pahquioque and Danbury National Banks for a number of years. His conservative 
opinions have made him a safe financial adviser. 

He has invariably declined election to town offices, though his name has been mentioned 
for various positions. He was induced to accept a nomination and was elected to the 
legislature of 1887-88, ser\-ing as a member of the railroad committee. In 1889-90 he served 
in the state Senate for the Fifteenth district, and was chairman of the committee on engrossed 
bills. Said the Hartford Coiiran/, speaking of the nomination to the Senate : 

The Republicans of the fifteenth senatorial district to-day nominated Henry Crofut, a wealthy hat 
manufacturer of this city, by acclamation. Mr. Crofut represented this district in the state Senate before and 
is nominated this time to defeat Michael J. Houlihan, his Democratic opponent. Mr. Crofut is, perhaps, the 
most popular manufacturer in the entire hattinjj district and was the only employer who stood b)- his work- 
men in the big strike ten years ago. He enjoys the unique distinction of being the only manufacturer that 
never had any labor trouble in his shop in thirty j-ears of active business. He is so popular among the 
hatters that he is known in every hatting district in the United States. His election is regarded as a 
certainty. 

Almost from its formation Mr. Crofut has been an active and consistent member of the 
Republican party. During the war, he rendered valuable a.ssistance to the Union cause, and 
gave liberally of his time and means. His friendship for the soldiers has continued up to 
the present day. Honored in the community where he resides for his probity and upright- 
ness of character, he is an e.xcellent representative type of the best citizenship of Connecticut. 
Though by several years he has passed threescore and ten, he is still actively eno-aeed e\erv 
day in the management of liis manufacturing business. 

Henr}' Crofut has been married three times. First, in 1842, to Sarah Maria Bevins. 
She died, leaving four children, of whom three are now living. Second, to Maria Stewart, 
who died, leaving one child, and the third time to Ellen Moore. His daughter, Laura 
Elizabeth, became the wife of Mr. Rollo Nichols, and Mar\- .\melia is the wife of his present 
partner, Joseph White. 




^\R\'IS, GEORGE CYPRIAN, M. D., of Hartford, was born in Colebrook, Conn., 
April 24, 1834. 

In the Jar\is genealogy the statement is made that the Jarvis family of the 
United States and British America are of English extraction, though the stock 
comes from Normandy, whence they emigrated into England. The name was 
originally Gervais. Their seat is at Bretague, and the first name found is Jean Ger\ais, 
who lived about the year 1400. The arms of the Ger\ais family showed a shield, " D'or, a 
une pomme de pice, plac(^s an canton, dextre du chef ; et un chouette places an canton senes- 
tre accompaguee,en pointe d'lui crapaud, le tout de sable." Both in this country- and Europe, 
the name Jar\is has been enrolled in almost all the learned professions and pursuits in life. 



194 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



It has given a dignity to the bench and bar ; it has graced the professions of medicine and 
surgery ; it has adorned the pulpit and the stage ; it has entwined its garlands of poetry with 
music and painting, and has thundered its deeds of daring over the ocean wave and among 
the distant islands of the sea. Earl St. Vincent, Sir John Jar\-is, the renowned British 
admiral, was a noble type of the hero and English sailor. The late Bishop Jar\-is, and his 
son, Rev. Samuel Farmer Jarvis, D. D., LL.D., were among the prominent divines of the 
Episcopal Church. John Wesley Jarvis was one of the most accomplished artists of his time. 

The earliest records of any settlement of the Jar\ises in this country-, show the name 
of one John Jarvice as living in \'irginia in 1623, and John Jarvis is mentioned in the records 
of Boston as one of the coroner's jurj- in September, 1648. Dr. George O. Jarvis, the father 
of the subject of this article, was the son of John Jarvis and Elizabeth Bontelle. He was 
born in New Canaan, Conn., July 14, 1795, and was a thorough English scholar and an 
educator of youth during his early manhood and scholastic life. Studying medicine with his 
brother-in-law, Dr. Truman Spencer Wetmore of Winchester, Conn., after being licensed to 
practice, he settled first in Torrington, removing from there to Colebrook, and finally to 
Portland, where he died at a ripe old age, sincerely mourned by the people among whom he 
had lived for so many years. Dr. Jarvis married ^liss Philamela Marshall, by whom he had 
si.x children. It is recorded to his credit that he was the inventor of an ingenious surgical 
apparatus for reducing fractures and dislocations. In 1845, he went to Europe and after 
delivering a series of lectures he was awarded a gold medal by the Society for the Promo- 
tion of Arts and Sciences, the medal being received from the hands of Prince Albert, the 
husband of Queen Victoria. 

George C. Jarvis, the youngest son of Dr. George O. Jarvis, received his early education 
in the district school, which he attended until he was fifteen years of age, after which he 
spent a year at the militar\- academy at Norwich, Vermont, and another year with Rev. S. 
M. Emery of Portland, Conn. Entering Trinity College in 1851, he remained through the 
junior year, leaving in 1853. The next three years were spent as a clerk in a drug store 
in "Middletown, thereby acquiring a practical acquaintance with materia medica. Having had 
the theory and practice of medicine illustrated before him all through his life, he naturally 
chose the medical profession as the one best suited to him in which to gain both reputation 
and financial success. Accordingly he commenced the study of medicine with his father, 
whose extensive surgical practice gave unusual facilities for illustrations in this branch of the 
profession. He also studied for two years with the distinguished gynaecologist, Dr. J. ]\Iarion 
Sims. Attending the regular course of lectures at the medical department of the University 
of the City of New York, he received his degree of M. D. from that institution in March, 1861. 

Dr. Jar\is at once began the practice of his profession in Stamford, Conn., but the call 
of his country was too loud to be neglected, and he offered his services to the government. 
They were accepted readily, and in- December, 1861, he was commissioned assistant-surgeon 
of the Eirst Battalion Connecticut Cavalry. He was promoted to be surgeon of the Seventh 
Connecticut Volunteers, October, 1862, and was later a member of General Terrj-'s staff. 
Through a large part of the war he was operating surgeon of the first di\ision of the Tenth 
Ann}- Corps. 

In General Butler's expedition on the James River, he took part, and was the chief operat- 
ing surgeon at the assault on Fort Fisher, where his skill was put to a severe test. Near the 
close of the war. Dr. Jarvis was the surgeon in charge at Wilmington, N. C, where about 
twenty thousand wrecks of humanity from Andersonvalle, Raleigh and other southern prisons 
passed under his care, and the responsibilities of his position were complex and tr\-ing in the 
extreme. Some idea of the terribleness of the situation mav be gained when it is stated 



OF COWECTICUT, i,^6i-rSQ.f. 195 

that of the twelve surgeons under him, eleven fell victims to the fearful contagion of a 
malignant typhus or prison fever, and of those who were stricken seven died, while of the 
enlisted men the average mortality was twenty per day. Under his direction the men were 
cared for and fed, and those who were able to bear the strain were transported to northern 
hospitals. From a slum of pestilence, the filthy city of Wilmington was transformed to a 
clean and healthful place of residence. That his duties were performed to the satisfaction 
of his superior officers is all that need be .said regarding his wearisome labors. 

During the siege of Morris Island in 1863, he volunteered for a midnight assault, after 
other surgeons who were appointed found reasons for not being disturbed. After ser\-ing 
honorably and with distinction through the war, he was mustered out July 20, 1865. Be- 
sides being a skillful and reliable surgeon, Dr. Jarvis's army record shows that he was 
noted for his bravery and gallantry, as is best illustrated by the numerous places of tnist 
and responsibility to which he was assigned. 

Under the title of " ^-// Oliish-i\"' a Hartford lady wrote a true story of the Seventh 
Connecticut Regiment and its surgeon. The tale was an exciting one but entirely too long 
for reproduction, but at a ven.' thrilling period occurs the following paragraph : 

"Just at that inoinent," Uncle Dick resumed, "as Rob was losing consciousness, up dashed our brigade 
surgeon ; he had been in the thickest of the fight, giving all the aid in his power to the wounded, and now 
following after the retreating forces, was picking up those who had fallen out of the ranks, and hurrying 
them off in wagons to headquarters. He was a young fellow, tall, straight and handsome, with the keenest 
eye I ever saw, one that pierced through all the shams and make-believes of the shirkers; but he had 
always a kind word and a cheery smile for the poor sick and wounded fellows in his brigade. He was quite 
young, not more than twenty-eight or thirty, but with as clear a head and skillful a hand as any old surgeon 
of twice his years. He was a great favorite with all the boj-s, the sight of his face or the sound of his voice 
was as good as a dose of medicine, we used to say." Then the story goes on to tell of how the surgeon put Rob on 
his horse and had a long, weary walk himself. Near the close comes this sentence : " The Seventh received high 
praise for their gallant conduct throughout the whole affair, but to my mind the hero of Olustee was our 
surgeon. .V man is brave, I acknowledge, who can march up to a cannon's mouth, or stand under the heavy 
fire without flinching ; but he is one of many, excitement, enthusiasm and discipline nerve him up to it ; but 
in cool blood to give up his best chance of life like that, to run the risk of being shot by the enemy follow- 
ing them, or of being taken prisoner, a fate worse than death, and to tramp those long weary miles, with 
muscles all unused to such exercise, just for the sake of a poor fellow who was nothing to him, shows 
courage of a far higher order. It is the stuff of which heroes are made." 

On his return from the war. he settled in Hartford, and soon won a position among 
the leading surgeons of the state. A large general and consultation practice was a natural 
result, and it is here that Dr. Jarvis has built up the e.Kcellent reputation he possesses. 
Original in his conceptions, and bold though careful in his researches, has made at the least 
one of the discoveries which should immortalize his name. Gaining a clue from an autopsy, 
in July, 1S77, he performed the first operation for appendicitis and since then has operated 
successfully in over thirty cases. He failed in only two cases where the patient was too 
far gone before he was called. Others have followed where he opened the way, but to him 
should be awarded the credit of being the pioneer in this new field of surgical science. 

The first successful operation in ovariotomy in Hartford was the work of Dr. Jarvis. 
Here his clo.se analysis of cau.ses came to the rescue, and he discovered that the use of im- 
pure water was the reason for so many previous failures. In the line of general surgen.-, Dr. 
Jarvis has now the highest rank of his profession in the state. By careful experiments two 
years ago, he found out a radical cure for inguinal hernia, and has performed the operation 
several times. He supposed he was the originator in this new field, but after seven consecu- 
tively successful cases he found that Dr. Halstead of Johns Hopkins I'niversity, Baltimore, 
Dr. Macewen of Scotland and Dr. Ba.ssine of Padua, had made the same discover}- and were 
working along similar lines at the same time. The discover},- is none the less to his honor, 
as the investigations were made entirely independent of other physicians. 



196 REPRESENTATUE MEN 

In 1869, Dr. Jarvis was appointed examining snrgeon for pensions, and, on the re- 
organization of the board in Hartford, was appointed its president. He filled that office till 
1884. For six 3'ears he was a member of the examining committee for conferring degrees 
at Yale College, and relinquished the position throngh ill health. He was appointed one of 
the visiting surgeons of Hartford Hospital in 1S72. As the time has been so fully occupied 
in the practice of his profession, Dr. Jarvis has had little opportunity for literary work, though 
his tastes led him in that direction. He has found time, however, to make sundry- contribu- 
tions to medical and surgical literature, and to the societies of which he is a member. 

Dr. Jarvis was married to Martha, daughter of George Gillum, Esq., of Portland, Conn. 
They have one daughter, who is now the wife of Dr. C. E. Taft of Hartford. 




|L.\CKSTONE, LORENZO, ex-mayor, and a leading manufacturer of Norwich, 
was born June 19, 1819, at Branford, Conn., and died Nov. 14, 1888. 

All students of English literature are familiar with the name of Blackstone. 
No member of the legal profession, either in the United States or Great Britain 
or the British colonies, is unacquainted with the "Commentaries on the Laws 
of England," published by Sir William Blackstone, 1765-6S. The master of the English 
language, he was the first of all institutional writers who taught jurisprudence to speak in 
the words of the scholar and gentleman. No less eminent as a Christian than as a lawj-er, 
his nati\e country has no son of whom she has more cause to be proud. Legal authors of 
the highest character, on both sides of the Atlantic, have profitabh' exercised their profound 
learning and critical acumen in annotations on his wonderful pages. 

Colonists from the Blackstone family were received in New England at an earh- date. 
An eccentric non-conforming clergyman was the first who appears in colonial records. In 
1628, it is known that he was living in almost complete loneliness at the head of Massachusetts 
Bay, on the peninsula of Shawmut. It is stated in the records of the place that when 
Governor Winthrop arrived at Charlestown in the summer of 1630, that "]\Ir. Blackstone, 
dwelling on the other side of the Charles river, alone, at a place b)- the Indians called Shaw- 
nnit, where he had only a cottage, at or not far off from the place called Blackstone Point, he 
came and acquainted the governor with an excellent spring there, withal inviting him and 
soliciting him thither, whereupon, after the death of Mr. Johnson and divers others, the 
governor, with Mr. Wilson, and the greatest part of the church, removed thither." In 
consideration of his service, at a court held in April, 1633, fifty acres of land near his house 
in Boston were granted to Mr. Blackstone forever. 

For some unknown reason the old planter did not choose to remain in the neighborhood 
of his new associates. Removing to the banks of the Pawtiicket river, within the present 
limits of the state of Rhode Island, he met Roger Williams, the founder of the Baptist church 
in America, and though they were not in full sympathy, they made their homes not far apart. 
The preliminary education of young Blackstone was gained in the district school of his 
native place, and it was finished in the local academy. The hereditary- influence of the first 
Blackstone had no effect on his choice, and after several years' experience in mercantile 
business, at the age of twenty-three he took an important step, which proved to be the 
foundation of his subsequent .sticcess. The field was comparatively new, and the enterprise 
an experiment full of risk, but his energy and ability brought forth most satisfactory results. 
He opened an agency and commission house in Liverpool, England, for the sale of American 



OF CONNECriCUr, iS6i-i8g4. 197 

merchandise, and ere lonjj his transactions extended over all parts of Great Britain, and to 
many points on the Continent and Australia. A few years after, to his already successful 
business, he added the sale of rubber overshoes, beinsr the first to introduce the Goodyear 
rubber (i;oods into Great Britain. Just as he had built up an extended trade in this special 
line, he was notified by Charles Mackintosh & Company, the great rubber manufacturers of 
Manchester, that he was infrinsjiug on their rights as owners of the patents of Thomas Han- 
cock, who was in litigation with Charles (ioodyear. Never did the business tact and foresight 
of the man show itself more clearly. He immediately entered into an arrangement with 
Messrs. Mackintosh & Company, which gave him the exclusive right to sell rubber boots and 
shoes in every part of Great Britain, and at the same time secured himself against the com- 
petition of American manufacturers and their English agents. It was a rare stroke of good 
policy, and the results attained more than vindicated the wisdom of his action. 

In 1857, Mr. Blackstone closed up his foreign business and removed to Norwich, Conn., 
where he resided till his death. His choice of a permanent abiding place was largely influenced 
by his close relations with the Messrs. Norton, his brothers-in-law, who w-ere leading merchants 
of Norwich, as well as by his intimate friend. Governor Buckingham. 

Becoming interested in niauufacturing industries, in 1859, Mr. Blackstone purchased the 
old Blashfield factor)- site. Erecting a substantial brick building, he put in new machinery, 
modernizing the mill, and running the spindles up to a grand total of 28,000. The name 
was also changed to the Attawaugan mill. Not long after he and his three brothers-in-law 
were incorporated by tlie state under the name of The Attawaugan Manufacturing Corporation. 
Besides the one mentioned, they purchased and operated three other mills, the Ballon, the 
Totokett and the Pequot mills. 

Gradually Mr. Blackstone extended his connections to various corporations, and naturally 
his ser\ices were sought in an official capacity. He became a director in the Ponemah 
Manufacturing Company, one of the largest in New England, and Richmond Stove Company. 
Not all of Mr. Blackstone's energy and managerial ability were confined to the building up 
of manufacturing properties. On the organization of the Chelsea Savings Bank he was 
chosen president and retained that office for a number of years. At the time of his death, he 
was president of the Norwich Bulletin Association, and of the Occum Water Power Company. 

In the Thames National Bank, and the Thames Land & Trust Company he was a director, 
and he occupied the same position in the Chicago S: Alton Railroad Company, and other 
railroads and corporations. 

In local affairs Mr. Blackstone was deeply and beneficently interested, and has ser\'ed as 
tnistee of the Norwich Free Academy. Of the Board of Aldermen of the city of Norwich he 
was a member for several years, and officiated as mayor for a similar period. During his admin- 
istration as mayor, the present system of water works with reservoir was conceived and built. 

He represented his constituents in the lower branch of the legislature in 1S71, and in 
1878, as the successful candidate of the Republican party, he took his seat in the Senate. 
Reelected to the same body in 1879, he sensed as chairman of the committee on finance with 
marked ability. His extensive and protracted business experience, acknowledged skill in 
financial matters, thorough acquaintance with legislation, and manifold accomplishments of 
head and heart, enabled him to wield powerful influence among his fellow legislators. All his 
attainments were used to the advancement of the best interests of the state at large. Mr. 
Blackstone was an active and useful member of the Broadway Congregational church, and for 
many years he served in the honorable position of deacon. 

Lorenzo Blackstone was married in Branford, Conn., Oct. 17, 1842, to Emily, daughter 
of Asa Norton, Esq. Three sons and two daughters were the result of this union : James 

26 



igS REPRESENTATirE MEN 

De Trafford, Harriet Belle, Ellen Frances, William Norton and Lonis Lorenzo. James 
De T. Blackstone is now treasurer of the Totokett Company, and secretarj' and treasurer of the 
Occum Company. William N. is treasurer and agent of the Attawaugan Company, and a 
director in the Thames National Bank and the Chelsea Savings Bank. 

]\Ir. Blackstone's death occurred Nov. 14, 1888. The funeral services were from his 
residence, and the interment was at Yantic Cemetery. The pall bearers were Messrs. Amos 
W. Prentice, H. H. Osgood, Gardiner Greene, Henry Bill, Thomas D. Sayles, and John 
Mitchell. After giving a summary of his life's history, the Norzvich Bulletin said: "In 
the death of Hon. Lorenzo Blackstone, Norwich loses a valued and esteemed citizen. In 
every position in life he proved capable and efficient, and was as highly respected for his 
private virtues as for his superior business qualifications and public services." 




^^TRONG, DAVID, of Winsted, president of the Strong Manufacturing Company, 
''^:\ and of the First National Bank, was born in East Hampton, Conn., Aug. 17, 



1825. That the Strongs of England, Ireland and Scotland are all of different 
origin respectively, is manifest from the variety of their family crests. The 
Strong family of England was originally located in the coimtj' of Shropshire. 
Richard Strong was of this branch of the family, aud was born in the county of Caernarvon, 
Whales, in 1561. In 1590, he removed to Taunton, Somersetshire, England, where he died in 
1613, leaving a son, John, then eight years of age, and a daughter, Eleanor. John Strong 
moved to Plymouth, and having earnest Puritan s}-mpathies he sailed for the New World 
March 20, 1630, in company with one hundred and forty persons, in the ship "Marj- and 
John." In 1635, after assisting in founding and developing the town of Dorchester, he made 
a brief stav in Hingham, and then located in Taunton, where he remained about ten j-ears. 
His next change was to Windsor, Conn., where he was appointed with four others "to 
superintend and bring forward the settlement of that place," which had been settled a few 
years before by a portion of the colony that with him had founded Dorchester. The " History 
of the Strong Family" says of him: "In 1659, he removed from Windsor to Northampton, 
Mass., of which he was one of the first and most active founders, and as he had previously been 
of Dorchester, Hingham, Taunton and Windsor. In Northampton he lived for forty 3'ears, 
and was the leading man in the affairs of the town and of the church. He was a tanner 
and very prosperous in his business. He owned at different times, as appears by records 
in the county clerk's office, .some two hundred acres of land in and around Northampton." 
From Elder John Strong the family line comes down through Jedediah, Jedediah, Jr., 
Ezra, David, who was a commissary in the Revolutionary army, to John C. A. Strong. 
The last named was the youngest of nineteen children, married Deborah L. Clark, and was 
the father of the subject of this sketch. 

He received his education in the district school of East Hampton, during the inten-als 
of work on his father's farm, mingled with casual employment in a bell factory. For the 
next few years, his life was varied indeed. Two years were spent with N. S. Markham, 
a hoe manufacturer ; subsequently he taught school several seasons, and for a couple of 
winters he travelled as salesman for a book concern in Virginia and the West. In 1856, 
Mr. Strong formed a partnership with A. H. Markham, under the name of Markham «S: Strong, 
and went into the business of silver plating bells for the bell manufacturers of East Hampton. 





l//£^:.y(^'^^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 199 

Not long after they added the manufacture of cofHn tacks and screws of white metal, then 
much nsed by undertakers, and also the coinnum kind of coffin IkuuHcs. At the opening of 
the War of the Rebellion, Clark Strong, only brother of David, returned from IVIissonri and 
assumed the active management of the factory, while David carried on the farm. 

In August, 1862, Mr. Strong and his brother, Clark, enlisted in Company C of the 
Twent\-fourlli Connecticut Volunteers, a nine months' regiment. He rose to the rank of 
first lieutenant, and took part in General Banks's expedition in the Gulf Department, being 
in all the forced marches from New Orleans to Port Hudson. His captain was off duty from 
sickness, and he commanded the conipan\' during these marches, and also at the siege of 
Port Hudson. The army record is one filled with faithful service and no shirking of duty. 

Returning from the scenes of battle, Mr. Strong resumed his place on the paternal farm, 
his brother taking charge of the factory, which had been managed by Mr. Markham in the 
meantime. Just after the close of the war, Mr. Strong opened up a trade with undertakers, 
selling by sample and buying his goods of Markham & Strong, and this proved to be a 
growing business. In January, 1866, arrangements were perfected for moving to Winsted. 
A joint stock company was formed there, under the title of the Strong Manufacturing Company, 
and Mr. Strong was authorized by the company to buy the Markham & Strong business, 
and the purchase was effected. For the first three years W. L. Gilbert ser\-ed as president, 
then N. Adams filled the chair, and in 187 1, Mr. Strong was chosen president, an office he 
has held up to the present time. He soon took a leading position among the manufacturers 
of that thriving town, and continues to hold a commanding place in the community. The 
company has passed through several financial crises, but continues to increase the volume 
of its trade from year to year. 

Mr. vStrong is also identified with the Winsted Hosiery Company, the New England 
Knitting Company, the W^iusted Silk Company, and the Winsted Shoe Manufacturing 
Compau}', and in all these companies takes his full share of the management, being president 
of the first and last named companies. Financial interests have called for a share of Mr. 
Strong's attention. He is president of the First National Bank of Winsted, having been a 
director since 18S3, and is a member of the firm of H. M. Tanner & Company. 

]\Ien of Mr. Strong's probity of character and acknowledged capacity in business affairs 
must expect to be called upon to accept official honors at the hands of their fellow townsmen. 
He has been a selectman of the town of Winchester, and twice warden of the borough of 
Winsted. From early manhood he has been a consistent Republican, and has always upheld 
the principles of that party on the battle-field and in civil life. In 1872, he represented the 
town of Winchester in the lower branch of the state legi.slature. Mr. Strong was again a 
member of the House in 1886, at which session he served on the appropriation committee, 
as well as other committees of lesser importance. 

For many years he has been an active member of the Congregational church, and he 
puts into his work for his Master the same characteristic energy he does into his business. 
l\Ir. Strong's life has been passed mainly in farming and manufacturing, but wherever he has 
come in contact with his fellow men, as a workman himself, as an employer of labor, as a 
town officer, as a member of the legislature, he has always gained their entire confidence and 
highest respect. 

David Strong has been married three times. First to P'rances A. Daniels, Nov. 4, 1852. 
She died March 24, 1B56, leaving no children. He was married Sept. 14, 1857, to Chloe 
IMaria, daughter of Henry Colt, by whom he had one son, who died in infancy. She died 
Feb. 2, 1865, and for his third wife he married limerette L. Colt, si.ster of his previous wife. 
Five children have been born to them, of whom three are living, Frederick Clark, Herbert 
Gillette and Homer David Strong. 




200 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



;iLSON, GROVE HERRICK, :\I. D., of Aleriden, was born in Stockbridge, 
Mass., March 25, 1824. 

Two of the oldest and most honorable families in England and America 
are nnited in the subject of this sketch. He is descended from Rev. William 
Wilson, D. D., a canon of His ]\Iajest}-'s Royal Chapel, who married the 
daughter of the Puritan Archbishop Grindal, and whose son, the Rev. John Wilson, married 
Elisabeth, daughter of Sir John Mansfield, and, as one of the expedition of Governor 
Winthrop, became the first pastor of the church of Boston. 

On the maternal side the ancestry of Dr. Wilson can be traced to Eric the Forester, 
of the royal house of Denmark, whose long war with the Angles resulted in the cession to 
him of the counties of Warwick and Leicester in England. To this day the Eric (or 
Herrick) family have a manor at Great Stratton, and a perpetual pew in the cathedral at 
Leicester. The Rev. William Herrick, who was chaplain to Edward VI. and also minister 
to the Sublime Porte under Elizabeth, was the grandfather of Robert Herrick, the famous 
poet, and Sir William Herrick, whose son Heniy was the first member of that family to 
emigrate to America. It is recorded that he settled at Salem, j\Iass., in 1639, and his 
great-grandson. Dr. Daniel Herrick of Preston, Conn., was the father of Sally Herrick, 
who married Joseph H. Wilson in 1822, and became the mother of the future doctor. To 
the family of Eric also belongs the discoverer of Greenland, whose son, Leif Eric, founded 
the settlements at Martha's Vineyard and Rhode Island, an event commemorated by a statue 
in Boston. Eminent positions in public and private life have also been adorned by other 
members of the Herrick family. 

At the common schools of Tyringham and Lee Academy, ^lass., the early education of 
Dr. Wilson was obtained, the special object in view being a preparation for the profession 
of teacher. In his native state as well as in Delaware, he successfully engaged in teaching, 
until failing health obliged him to seek occupation less confining. The problems of 

medicine attracted him, and, beginning its study, he graduated from the Berkshire Medical 
Institution in 1849. The scientific principles of Hahnemann attracted his attention, and 
two years later he adopted homceopathy, and has since followed in the footsteps of his great 
leader. After practising his profession in North Adams and Conway, IMass., for several 
years, he located in ]\Ieriden during the financial crisis of 1857, when the outlook of the 
place was decidedly unpromising. It required birt a limited period to establish an excellent 
reputation for himself, and his professional career has been exceptionally successful, continu- 
ing uninterrupted to the present time. Before Meriden became a city, his patronage 
embraced nearly two-thirds of the grand list of the town. 

Dr. Wilson's activity as a practitioner would seem to preclude efforts in other directions, 
however meritorious, but such has not been the case. To the medical knowledge of the 
country he has contributed several original papers of much value, and, in 1882, he published 
a monograph which clearly established the theory of the epidemic nature of intermittent 
fevers in New England. Well informed in all the mechanical progress and invention of the 
times, all the doctor's tastes lie in the direction of liberal and scientific culture. His 
townsmen have frequently been given the benefit of his extensive knowledge in the form of 
familiar talks on subjects of natural science. Two years before Edison invented the phono- 
graph, Dr. Wilson had brought out an instrument of that nature. Among his inventions 
may be mentioned the "aural masseur," an instrument for treating deafness by the 
massage of the internal ear, through the medium of aerial vibrations, a mode of which he 
claims priority. 



OF CONXECTICUr, 1S61-1894. 20i 

In the public schools the doctor has maintained a continuous interest. He successfully 
advocated the abolition of the "rate bill," making the schools absolutely free to everj' child 
in ]\Ieriden. Within two years thereafter the state confirnied the wisdom of this action by 
passing a law extending the same privilege to all the children of the commonwealth. 
Other public interests have been accorded his sanction and support, nor has he shirked ihe 
duties and responsibilities of official station. In 1880, and again in 1882, he served as a 
member of the General Assembly for Meriden, and at each session his course was both 
creditable to himself and beneficial to his constituents. For the past dozen years he has 
been a member of the Connecticut Board of Health, and in this position his protracted 
experience and intimate knowledge of affairs made him a \aluable addition to that body. A 
resident of a manufacturing community, the doctor has kept himself in close touch with the 
life of the place, and is a zealous supporter of all that pertains to its welfare. He is 
president of the Meriden Buckle Company, a young but growing corporation organized for 
the purpose of manufacturing buckles and trimmings for arctic overshoes. 

In early manhood Dr. Wilson connected himself with the followers of Masonry, and 
has since become acquainted with all its masteries. He had the honor of being the first 
commander of St. Elmo Commandery, No. 9, and by successive elections passed through the 
various chairs in regular order until, in 1893, he reached the eminence of grand commander 
of the Grand Commandery of Connecticut. For the year 1S93 he serxed as mayor of the 
city of Meriden, and was a worthy successor to the honorable men who had preceded him 
in that office. An active member of the Ecclesiastical Society of the First Congregational 
church of Meriden, he has been given an opportunity to show his appreciation of religious 
truth. Says a sketch of him in the History of New Haven County: 

Although somewhat indepeudent in regard to theological systems, he has, without being a member of the 
Christian church, never failed of supporting the measures of the gospel, and holds to a rigid morality in all 
the ways of life. His religious sentiments are exalted, and his thoughts upon such subjects, profound and 
liberal, are often evinced in his actions in his social and professional life. He served on the building com- 
mittee of the present First Congregational church edifice — one of the finest in the state — which was greatly 
embellished by his artistic taste and efforts to elevate the style of architecture. The finely ornamented capitals, 
designed by him, are examples of his love for this work, and show his knowledge of sacred symbolism, ex- 
pressing in carved and enduring stone the course of natural and revealed religion in the human heart. Dr. 
Wilson has a genial and benevolent nature, is a ready conversationalist, loving controversial discussions, but is, 
withal, conservative in his speech and actions, and is justly considered an influential and popular citizen. 

Dr. Wilson was married Nov. 30, 1848, to Margaret A., daughter of John Adams of 
Pencader Hundred, Delaware. He has one son, Edgar A. Wilson, who graduated from the 
University of Pennsylvania in 1881, with the degree of M. D., and after practicing several 
years in Rockville came to Meriden, and is now associated with his father, and materially 
lightens the cares of the increasing practice. 




2 02 REPRESENTArn-E MEN 



'LOWES, GEORGE HEWLETT, of Waterlnuy, president of the Board of 
Trade, and managing member of the firm of Randolph & Clowes, was born 
at Clinton, Oneida County, New York, Jnne 17, 1842, daring his father's 
presidency of the Clinton Liberal Institute. 

In the latter part of the seventeenth century the name of Clowes first 
appears in America. Here, its starting point was in that old, historic and thriving town of 
Hempstead, L- I. Indeed, the burying ground of St. George's church in Hempstead is, in 
its epitaphs, a sufficient history of -the family since its first advent to this country. It is 
a surprising fact, in looking over its records from the beginning, to find so many of the 
name in succeeding generations who ha\-e pursued professional and scholar!}- lives, — doctors, 
lawyers, clergymen, almost exclusively, — many of them quite distinguished in their life 
work. Perhaps, however, no one of the name acquired so high a position in the world of 
letters and scholarship as the Rev. Timothy Clowes, LL.D., the father of our present 
subject. This man, most eminent in his profession, was born March 18, 1787; was graduated 
as Master of Arts at Columbia College in 180S; was a clergyman in 1809 of the established 
church, with a parish at Jamaica, L- I., and later one in Jersey City; was rector of St. 
Peter's church, in Albany, from iSio to 181 7, — at the end of which time he returned to 
Hempstead, and for three years taught with marked success one of the leading classical 
institutes of the country. Recognizing his vast and varied erudition, he was honored in 
182 1, with the degree of Doctor of Laws by Allegheny College, and the same year was 
appointed the principal of Erasmus Hall, Flatbush, L. I. In 1S23, Dr. Clowes received a 
call to the presidency of Wa.shington College, IMaryland, which he accepted. Over this insti- 
tution of learning he presided for six years. During a part of this period he was also rector 
of the Episcopal church in Chestertown, Md., and of St. Paul's, Kent County, Md. In 1829, 
Washington College was destroyed by fire, and Dr. Clowes again opened his classical school 
in Hempstead, L- I. This seminary in the succeeding nine years became widely celebrated 
as an institution of learning. The Clinton Liberal Institute, Oneida County, N. Y., called 
him in 1838 to its presidency, — a position which he creditably occupied for four years. Dr. 
Clowes died at Hempstead, Long Island, June 19, 1847. 

If the subject of tliis notice derives some of his best qualities to insure success in life 
from his distinguished father, he is no less indebted for many of his most manly 
characteristics to his mother. Her maiden name was Miss Mary Hewlett, and her mother's 
name was Mary Sands. She came from a long and noted ancestry. Her lineage is distinctly 
traced, step by step, to the middle of the eleventh century in England, and her family was 
exclusively of Saxon origin. The name was originally Sandys in the olden times, but has 
since been spelled Sandes, Saudis, and Sands. Dr. Benjamin Sandys was Archbishop of 
York in the time of Cromwell, who confiscated his vast estates just as he treated every- 
thing of value with which he came in contact. There is at present an association of the 
Sands's family heirs, — of which Mr. Clowes is a member, — seeking for a restoration to them 
through the British Parliament of these estates, aggregating $100,000,000. In America, the 
Sands family first appears in the peison of Sir Edwin Sand)-s, who, in 1617, became 
go\-ernor and treasurer of the Virginia colony. Subsequently, in 1640, representatives of the 
parent stock in England settled in Boston, Mass. The genealogy of the Sands family from 
this point to the present, — covering nearly three centuries, — is both interesting and 
instructive, but our narrow limits forbid its introduction here. Suffice it to say, that it 
comprised members of all of the three recognized professions, men prominent in business 
circles in New York and elsewhere, officers, soldiers and patriots of our wars of the 
Revolution and of 1812, bankers, members of Congress, judges, naval officers, and scholars. 



I 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6r-iS()4. 203 

Mr. Clowcs's father died when he was hut five years of age. I'pon his widowed mother 
devolved the care, education and training of two children, both of tender years. I'ntil he 
was eleven years of age, ]Mr. Clowes attended the Hempstead Seminary and Jamaica 
Academy. For the four following years, he was a student of the Thetford Academy, 
Thetford, \'l. .\t the age of fifteen, his brother, then a banker in De Pere, Wis., gave 
him a position in his banking house, which he retained until he entered St. Lawrence 
University at Appleton, Wis. Since his college days, until 1S75, he made his home with 
his mother in Brooklyn, N. Y. Mr. Clowes has also an honorable record, as a young and 
patriotic citizen, in our late Civil War. Under the competent instruction of Colonel 

Tompkins, who had been commissioned to educate officers for military positions, he passed 
a successful examination before the board of United States examining oflficers, and was at 
once appointed adjutant of the McClellan infantry. Having aided in recruiting 600 men for 
a new regiment, an order of consolidation with another and smaller body of recruits was 
issued by the war department, and, — owing in all probability to political favoritism, — the 
entire regimental staff of the latter body was placed in command of the full regiment. It 
was a flagrant piece of injustice, but it did not in the least diminish the patriotic ardor of 
Mr. Clowes. On a .second call for troops, he at once reenlisted, a musket on his shoulder, 
with the 47th Regiment, N. Y. N. G. Soon he was appointed sergeant-major of the 
regiment, which position he held when mustered out. He had, likewise, during the War 
of the Rebellion, an extensiv^e experience in the navy of the United States. For a year 
and a half he served on the United States gunboat Flambeau, doing duty off the coast of 
North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Later he was transferred to the United 
States storeship " Home," and was faithful to duty aboard this ship until she was ordered 
home in the summer of 1864. His elder brother, Joseph Clowes, now retired, was also in 
the ser\-ice of the navy of the Union as admiral's secretary, and the loss of a leg at the 
fall of Fort Fisher sufficiently attests his love of country and his sacrifice for her in her 
hour of sore distress. This is all the more marked as he voUinteered his services for shore 
duty against the admiral's advice not to go ashore with the marines. 

In 1882, ^Ir. Clowes was united in marriage to Miss Mamie T. Blacknall, daughter of 
Dr. George W. Blacknall of Raleigh, N. C, and their home is a model of refinement, happiness 
and doiuestic felicity. 

The first experience of Mr. Clowes in a mercantile life began as bookkeeper and after- 
wards as salesman, for the flotirishing house of Gardner & Company, New York. This was 
late in 1864. At the end of two years he received a flattering offer from the Middlefield Fire 
and Building Stone Company, 1269 Broadway, N. Y. While thus engaged, he was appointed 
paymaster's clerk oh the United States gunboat "Juniata," ordered to the European station, 
and sailed in July, 1869. He was abroad till 1872. Returning to the United States, he at 
once was engaged as loan and discount clerk for the New York Loan Indemnity Company. 
In this position he won the respect and admiration of all who dealt with him, and, through 
their confidence in him personally, he influenced to this company during the two years of 
his connection with it, deposits of his friends of upwards of a quarter of a million of dollars. 
It was with this banking house that the old firm of Brown & Brothers of Waterbury, Conn., 
with a reputation world-wide for upwards of forty years, then kept their New York account. 
Late in 1S74, when the New York Loan Indemnity Company were arranging to discontinue 
business, Mr. Philo Brown (the then president of Brown & Brothers), asked, in the course 
of a business con\er.sation, its president, if he could recommend one of the employees of the 
bank to him, a man who would ha\c the requisite character, stamina and ability, if engaged, 
to grow up and become identified with his large bu.siness establishment in Waterbur>-. Calling 



204 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

up Mr. Clowes, the president at once remarked to Mr. Brown: "Of all those employed in 
this bank, I speak in every respect most highly of this one." That recommendation was 
sufficient, an engagement of ]\Ir. Clowes at once followed, and, as a result, on Jan. i, 1875, 
Mr. Clowes came to Waterbury and entered upon his duties as head bookkeeper of Brown & 
Brothers. During the entire period of his connection with Brown & Brothers, covering 
about eleven )-ears, it should, however, be stated that Mr. Clowes had no part in the direction, 
policy or management of the concern. Owing to financial difficulties and embarassments and 
other causes, entirely foreign to a disctission here, in January, 1886, it was deemed advisable 
for the once powerful and solid company of Brown & Brothers to make an assignment. This 
event occurred under the presidency of Franklin Farrel, Esq., the elder Brown lia\-ing died 
some years before. The trustees of the company, however, recognizing the ability and 
integrity of Mr. Clowes, retained him for his aid to them in winding up its involved and 
intricate affairs. 

His keen mercantile sagacity told him at once that the purchase of the seamless tube, 
brazed tube and boiler business from the trustees might be made the nucleus of a great 
industry. This, however, was at that time but a small portion of the original plant of Brown 
& Brothers. To secure its control required an outlay of $37,500. The purchase price of the 
kettle business of the late company was fi.xed at $5,000 additional. At once and without 
delay Mr. Clowes applied to a friend of years' standing, Mr. Edward F. Randolph, a man of 
wealth and with large business interests in New York, for the capital necessary to make this 
purchase. After a conference, ]Mr. Randolph at once agreed to furnish conditionallv the 
requisite sum. The imposed condition was in substance that the entire responsibility of the 
direction and management of the plant, when bought, should devolve upon Mr. Clowes. It 
Avas an immense undertaking for one man to assume, especially when a new company, under 
new conditions and surroundings, must be built up on the wreck of the old. The entire 
purchase price of $42,500 was, however, at once furnished. Mr. Clowes assumed all personal 
responsibility of management, and in April, 1886, the sale was effected by a transfer of the 
portion indicated of the former Brown & Brothers' plant from the trustees to Randolph & 
Clowes. The partnership capital of the new firm was at that time fixed at $75,000 (though 
subsequently many times increased), and the partnership of Randolph & Clowes was launched 
upon its business career. At that time (April, 18S6) they employed fifty men and one clerk. 
Their office quarters consisted of a small room, about fourteen feet square. By comparison, 
at the piesent writing (January, 1894) they now employ eight under superintendents, and 
over five hundred hands. The main office, a magnificent brick structure, beautiful in its 
architectural design, and its convenience, where all books, records and accounts are kept, gives 
employment to fifteen clerks. The firm also at present has its own offices in New York^ 
Boston, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati, together with a large distributing depot in Chicago. 

After their first purchase as before described, in 1886, for three years Mr. Clowes put 
forth all his energies towards building up the little business so acquired. From small begin- 
nings, the volume of business transacted rapidly increased. In three years $105,000 had been 
laid out upon it, and, at the end of that time, this thriving partnership, in its seamless 
tube, brazed tube and kettle departments was transacting a business exceeding $600,000 per 
annum, — a surprising showing tipon the original investment. At this juncture, the energ}-, 
executive ability and business skill of Mr. Clowes stood him well in hand. Consuming, as 
they did, large quantities of sheet brass and copper, his business sagacity suggested the pro- 
priety of his firm engaging likewise in its manufacture. Their increased business, also, had 
outgrown the quarters which it then occupied. Consequently, in March, 1889, the present 
partners purchased of the trustees, at a cost of $75,000, the old rolling mill of Brown & 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S6/-/S94. 205 

Brothers, — the largest single rolling mill in the conntry, — together with the remainder of 
the property. It was a bnsiness ventnre at which many old and experienced maiuifactnrers 
shook their heads, predicting only impending rnin and disaster to the young and thriving 
firm. Hut, as we have .seen, among his qualities Mr. Clowes does not number tlie coward- 
ice of a faint heart. He was not to be satisfied until he could reach a point where he could 
see his firm second to none, either in its capacity for volume of business, credit in its 
finance, or ability in its management. 

Whether or not he has succeeded, the figures alone will show. Starting with about 
200 customers on its books, this concern now has nearly 3000. Up to the present time 
over $500,000 has been spent in improving the property, as originally purchased. The cost, 
therefore, of this plant, — starting in such modest proportions but eight years ago, — is to 
the partners over $650,000.00. The betterments to the property, — taking into consideration 
the constantly increasing success of the enterprise, — give it a value more than double their 
entire cost. In the management and de\elopment of this enormous industry Mr. Clowes 
has had no aid from any source, except the generous financial assistance of his partner, who, 
however, has given no time whatever to its conduct, policy or supervision. It must also be 
remembered that, during the.se few years of the growth and maturity of this firm, it has been 
compelled in the open market to face and combat the competition of old and established cor- 
porations, with limitless credit and recognized experience born of many years. Its success, 
is, therefore, an added cause for congratulation to ]\Ir. Clowes, as its manager. Perhaps one 
of the main causes for this rapid and enormous growth may, under the circumstances, be 
found in the rigid system of economy upon which Mr. Clowes has insisted in ever\^ detail. 
Expenses of selling and marketing goods, as well as the general expenses of the manage- 
ment, — all outside of the actual cost of production — have been reduced by him to a minimum. 
The cost to the company of this item has never exceeded three per cent, of their sales. 
The difference between this figure, and the selling expenses of other companies in the same 
line — running from seven to twelve per cent, on their output, — goes far towards explain- 
ing why Randolph & Clowes can make so good a financial exhibit, and how carefully, 
judiciously and systematically their business is managed. 

Mr. Clowes is still the active, energetic, persevering manager and partner of this great 
and prosperous firm. Their extensive and magnificent works, occupying a central portion of 
the city of Waterburj-, co\-ering an area of nearly seven acres, with unlimited and never- 
failing water supply from the Nangatuck River, which is in close proximity ; the size, 
convenience and neat condition of their buildings ; the immense, powerful, modern and 
varied character of their machinery, — all go to make of Randolph & Clowes's a grand and 
unsurpassed manufacturing establishment. This alone is an enduring monument to George 
H. Clowes. Few business men in the country can point to such stupendous results, accu- 
mulated in so few years, by their own personal, individual, unaided efforts. No wonder that 
the city of Waterbur}-, with its immense manufacturing interests, has be^n glad to honor 
Mr. Clowes with the presidency of its Board of Trade, to which position he was elected 
Jan. 8, 1894. 

Although quiet, unobtrusive, affable and ever courteous, he is of a type of business men 
who possess at bottom sterling honesty, absolute independence and limitless perseverance. 
In every enterprise, with him "to think is to perfonn." Inheriting through a long line of 
ancestors what may be called the severely Saxon qualities, — integrity, determination and 
clear-headedness — he yet adds to them the peculiarly .\merican traits of push, pluck and 
self-reliance. This rare combination in itself is enough to guarantee success in any man. 
To the possession of this compound of qualities both of mind and heart the present high 
position of Mr. Clowes in the manufacturing world is largely due. 
27 



2o6 REPRESEXTATn'E MEN 

Let the Examiner voice the sentiments of the citizens : 

Last Monday the Waterbury Board of Trade organized for the current year, 1S94. New members were 
admitted, and it looks as if this body would be a more powerful factor for the welfare of our city the 
coming y-ear than ever before. They began their work well by making the very creditable and deserved 
selection of Mr. George H. Clowes as their president. Mr. Clowes is one of Waterbury's most active and enthu- 
siastic business men. At the head of an immense establishment himself, he has shown by his own endeavors 
the past eight years just what business pluck and endeavor can do. He has established an industry among 
us, giving employ-ment to 400 men, and has made it successful from the beginning. His election, therefore, 
as president of the Board of Trade shows conclusively that this board means business. We shall indeed be 
much mistaken if, during his presidency of this Board, it does not have a decided influence in all matters 
of public importance to our citizens. 

In political life IVlr. Clowes has always been a stannch Repnblican, and takes pride in 
being a member of that great organization. Besides the official positions he holds in Water- 
bury, he is also vice-president of the State Board of Trade of Connecticnt, and a director 
in the Cooperative Sa\ings Society of Connecticnt, at Hartford. 




lORSE, GEORGE MILTON, of Pntnam, president of the Powhatan and the 
]\Iorse Mills INIannfacturing Corporations, was born in Central Falls, Rhode 
Island, Ang. 25, 1830. It was a time prolific in the birth of men who were 
prominent in national affairs, as well as in literature and other fields of action : 
President Chester A. Arthnr, James G. Blaine, and a long line of cabinet officers 
and Union generals, not to mention a goodly array of men who were leaders in their chosen 
spheres. 

Milton S. Morse, father of the subject of this sketch, was largely engaged in manufact- 
uring and erected the Morse and Nightingale stone mills in Putnam. He contributed in no 
small degree to the prosperity of the place, and will ever be remembered for his strong 
character and ability as a manager of corporations. 

The education of George M. Morse was obtained principally in the public schools of his 
native town, and of the city of Providence. After passing a limited period in the West, he 
returned to Putnam, where he resided, and has been a mo\-ing force in the communit}- for 
over forty years. In 1872, under the super\-ision of his father and Mr. George C. Nightingale, 
he built the Powhatan Mill. He is now president of the Powhatan and the Morse Mills 
Corporations, which are among the leading cotton manufacturing concerns in the Ouinnebaug 
Valley. For over a dozen years his son, Mr. A. I. Morse, has filled the office of superin- 
tendent, but Mr. :Morse still carries the heavy burden of the management with apparent ease. 

It was but natural that a man of ilr. Alorse's probity of character and knowledge of 
business affairs .should be called upon to accept official honors at the hands of his fellow 
citizens. He has held and worthily filled various offices within the gift of his townsmen. 
In 1890, he was elected to represent Putnam in the General Assembly, and ser\-ed on several 
important committees. 

Mr. Morse has decided opinions both in regard to politics and religion. In political life 
he is an ardent Republican, and at each election uses his utmost influence for the success of 
the party ticket. He is a member and deacon of the Baptist church of Putnam, and deeply 
interested in Christian work. The camp meeting grounds at Douglass, Mass., are largely 
owned by him, and for many years he has been an active participant at the meetings. 

George M. Morse was married to Melora Whitney of Killingly. Nine children were the 
result of this union, all of whom are now living, two of the sons being associated with the 
father in business. 




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OF COXXECTICUT, 1861-1S94. 207 



KILTON, Df.WITT CLINTON, president of the Phcenix (Fire) Insurance 
Company of Hartford, Conn., was born in that portion of the present town of 
Thoniaston, Conn., whicli was then known as Plymouth Hollow, Jan. 11, 1839. 
He is a descendant of the ancient English family of Skeltons of Yorkshire 
and Warwickshire, his first American ancestor being Dr. Henry Skilton, who was 
burn ill ilic parish of St. Michael's, Coventry, in 1718. In his seventeenth year Henry Skilton 
sailed for America in a "gun ship," the day of starting being April i, 1735, and after living 
in Ro.xburv, Mass., for a short time, he transferred his residence to Preston, Conn., where in 
1741 he married the daughter of Joseph Aven* of Norwich. He removed to Southington in 
1750, ten years later to Woodbury, and in his old age to Watertown, where he died in 1.S02, 
in his eighty-fifth year. Dr. Skilton was the first physician to commence the practice of 
medicine in Southington, and the house he built in that town is still standing. 

Mr. Skilton's ancestors were among the early and mo.st distinguished .settlers of Hartford 
County. On his father's mother's side he is a descendant of Hon. John Steele, the young 
Englishman who was the close friend and companion of Rev. Thomas Hooker in bringing the 
party from Massachusetts Bay Colony and founding the city of Hartford, and was prominently 
active for years in connection with the development of the towns of Hartford and Farmiugton. 
In the illustrious list may also be included Hon. John Wadsworth, (the half-brother of Captain 
Wadsworth, who is said to have removed and concealed the Connecticut charter in the old oak), 
Sir William Southmayd, Hon. Matthew Allyn (one of the original parties to the royal charter), 
Hon. John Allyn (who is called in the History of Coiiiiccticitl " the great secretary "), William 
P)nchon, Esq., Gov. Thomas Welles, Captain W^illianr Judd and Timothy Judd, Esq., the 
last two representatives of Waterbury in the colonial government almost continuously for 
forty years, and many others of equal prominence in the history of the colony and state. 

After receiving a limited education in the district schools, young Skilton removed to 
Hartford in 1855, and began his mercantile career in the dry goods trade. In October, 1861, 
he first entered the insurance business as a clerk in the office of the Hartford F'ire Insurance 
Company. Less than a year had elapsed when his patriotic impulses were stirred, and he 
enlisted in Company B of the Twenty-second Regiment Connecticut Volunteers. He was 
elected second lieutenant, and served with distinction in the army until he was mustered out 
July 7, 1863, having been promoted to a first lieutenantcy in the meantime. 

On his return from the army, Mr. Skilton resumed his old position with the instirance 
company, and contiiuied in that capacity till December, 1867. At this time, as he had 
gained a reputation for himself in his chosen field of action, he was elected secretary of the 
Phoenix Insurance Company. This position he held till Aug. i, 18S8, when for six weeks he 
filled the office of both secretary' and vice-president. On Sept. 11, 1888, he resigned his office 
as secretary and was made vice-pre.sident and acting president, and sei'ved in this dual capacity 
till Feb. 2, 1891, when he was elected president of the company, and is now filling that 
important position. Owing to the ill-health of the late Henry Kellogg, president of the 
company for many years, he was relieved of all care and responsibility of its affairs from 
Aug. I, 1888, till his death in January, 1891, the duties of the office being perfonned by the 
vice-president. 

When Mr. Skilton entered the service of the company in December, 1867, the capital 
was $600,000; the assets were $1,234,195, and the surplus, $113,683. On the 1st of January, 
1894, the capital of the Phcenix Compan\- had more than trebled, the exact amount being 
$2,000,000; the a.ssets had increased four and one-half times to $5,429,793, and the surplus 
was more than six times as large, having grown to $713,195. Its premium income for the 



2o8 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

year 1868 was $1,219,211, and for fhe year 1893 it was nearly three times as g^eat, $3,306,- 
240. During Mr. Skilton's connection with the company it has paid out for losses almost 
a round thirty millions of dollars. The great growth in American underwriting has been made 
during the last thirty years, and Mr. Skilton's underwriting career has been contemporary 
with this growth, and he has been identified with all work looking to reforms in that busi- 
ness and broadening its methods. He was a member of the committee that prepared the New 
York Standard policy, now in use in most of the United States. 

The records of the National Board of Fire Underwriters show that in i860 there were 
129 joint stock fire insurance companies doing business in the state of New York, and that 
they collected in premiums that year on all their business in this country-, $6,710,412.27, 
and paid for losses, $3,578,934.15. The same records show that in 1893 there were 127 
joint stock fire insurance companies doing business in that state (two less than in i860), and 
that they collected in premiums on their entire business that year $134,984,282.00, and paid 
out for losses $90,344,075. This great increase not only shows the wonderful growth in the 
business of American fire underwriting, but also clearly shows the great growth of the 
country-, and the immense increase in the amoTint and value of insurable property. It is 
believed by many, that fire underwriting has been one of the greatest factors in the develop- 
ment of the business of the country, for fire insurance protection is the basis of all business 
credit. In the last seven years 192 companies have either failed or withdrawn from the 
business, and since i860, the records show that 797 companies have failed, or retired from 
business, withdrawing $174,864,426.00 in assets from the fire insurance business of the 
country. Those that have fought the fight and still remain have proved their solidity and 
strength. 

In addition to his official connection with the Phoenix Company, Mr. Skilton is a director 
in the Hartford National Bank, a corporator and trustee of the State Savings Bank, a mem- 
ber of the military order of the lyOyal Legion, of the Grand Army of the Republic and of 
the Hartford Club. His relations with the National Board of Fire Uuder^vriters have been 
highly honorable. After serving for three years as secretary, he was vice-president for se\eii 
years, and then filled another term of three years as president. He ranks unquestionably 
among the expert underwriters of the countr}-, and while the credit for all the success 
attained by the Phcenix cannot be laid at his door, for he has been ably assisted by his 
ofiicial associates, still his services have been invaluable, and a large share is acknowledged 
as beine due to his able management. Interested in educational affairs he held the office of 
committeeman of the west middle school district for several years. In political matters he 
acts with the Republican party, and his religious connections are with the Asjdum Avenue 
Congregational Church. 

Aug. 8, 1865, Mr. Skilton was niamed to Ann Jeannette, daughter of Lyman Andrews 
of Hartford. Two children were bom to them, neither of whom is now living. 




OF CONNECTICUT, iS6i-r8c,4. 209 



^^IMONDS, WILLIAM KDGAR, of Collinsville, ex-speaker of the Connecticut 
•M^j\ House of Representatives, ex-member of Congress, and ex-United States com- 
missioner of patents, was born in Collinsville, Conn., Nov. 24, 1842. Throuo-h 
his father he was descended from the families of Simonds and (Daniel) Webster; 
and through his mother from the families of Weaver and Converse, the latter 
tracing an unbroken line from Roger de Coigneries, who came to England with William tlie 
Conqueror. 

His father died in 1845, after a long illness, leaving no means for the support of his widow 
and three children, of -whom William, the subject of this sketch, was the youngest. Mrs. 
Simonds, a woman of superior intellect and high character, bravely assumed her heavy duties 
and as bravely discharged tliem, giving to her children an excellent English education. When 
he had completed the usual course in the graded and high schools of his native village, William, 
then a well-grown lad of sixteen, eagerly entered the arena of labor, endeavoring to become 
self-supporting, and helpful as well to his devoted mother. His first employment was at the 
works of the Collins Company, manufacturers of cutler)-, at Collinsville. Out of the small 
compensation received for his sen'ices, he managed to save enough to enable him to take a 
course of study at the Connecticut State Normal School at New Britain, which he entered 
in the fall of 1859, and from which he was graduated in i860. Obtaining a position as a 
school teacher he remained thus engaged until the summer of 1862, when he gave up teaching 
to enter the Union army as a volunteer. Enlisting in August as a private in Companv A, of 
the Twenty-fifth Connecticut regiment, he made such a good impression that he was advanced 
within a few days to the grade of sergeant-major, and as such was mustered into the United 
States ser\-ice. Accompanying his regiment to the seat of war, he ser\-ed with it in the 
department of the Gulf, and for distingiiished gallantly at the battle of Irish Bend, La., April 
14, 1863, was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant and assigned to Companv I. Twentv- 
five years later, April 14, 1888, at a reunion of the regiment held in Hartford, on the 
anniversan,' of the battle. Col. George P. Bissell, former commander, referring to that memor- 
able occasion in his address, said : 

I have always regretted that we could not have gone into that fight as a solid regiment, but it was not so 
ordered, and we went in, half all over the lots and half in reserve, but that gave an opportunity for us later to 
execute one of the most difficult manreuvres iu war, that of forming a regimental line under fire, and sharp fire, 
too; but we did it, thanks to McManus and Ward, and also to William Edgar Simonds w)i,,iii i i,r..i!wii.-.1 mi the 
field for his coolness in that act. 

Lieutenant Simonds was mustered out with his regiment at the expiration of its term of 
ser\-ice, on Aug. 26, 1863. Having already determined upon the law as a life vocation he 
entered Yale Law School, and was graduated therefrom in 1865, with the degree of Bachelor 
of Laws. After practicing in a general way for nearly two years, Mr. Simonds became 
interested in patent law, and since then has devoted himself exclusivelv to this branch of 
his profession. He has embodied the results of his researches in this department in several 
voluminous works, which are conceded to possess high merit, and have been accepted by the 
legal profession as standards. These works are entitled, "Design Patents," " Digest of Patent 
Office Decisions," " Summan,- of Patent Law," and "Digest of Patent Cases," embracing 
all patent cases decided by the federal and state courts since the foundation of the government. 
In 18S4, Mr. Simonds was called to the faculty of Yale Law School as lecturer on patent 
law, and still retains that position. He has occupied a similar position in the Columbian 
University at Washington, D. C, since 1891. Being widely recognized as an authorit>' on 
patent law he draws his practice from all parts of the United States, and is counsel for many 



2IO REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

cases on the dockets of the United States Supreme Court, and a number of the United States 
Circuit Courts, inchiding those of the district of Massachusetts, Northern and Southern New 
York, Eastern Penns)dvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont. 

Mr. Simonds has always been a Republican in politics, and was elected h\ that party 
to the Connecticut legislature in 1883, and immediately took rank as one of the leaders in 
that body, and was made chairman of the joint standing committee on railroads. In this 
capacity he was prominent in effecting the passage of wise laws governing the railroads of 
the state. Counnenting upon his labors in connection with the passage of what was known 
as "the short haul bill," the Hartford Coiirant of April 12, 1883, said: "Mr. Simonds is 
a lawyer who.se large practice in the specialty of patents has thrown him into familiar relations 
with our manufacturers. His practical experience has tindoubtedly shown him the necessity 
and justice of such a bill as this, and he is entitled to the gratitude of the state for having 
advocated it as he did." Reelected to the House in 1885, he had the honor of being chosen 
speaker, and " liis administration of that office was such as to make every member his personal 
and lasting friend." His intelligent advocacy of the bill establishing the Storrs Agricultural 
College aided materially in securing its passage in 1S85. He has been a trustee of this 
institution since 1886. 

On the sul:)ject of agriculture generally Mr. vSimonds is no mean authority, as his many 
public addresses bearing on this topic indicate, notably, those deli\-ered at the commencement 
exercises of the Agricultural College in 1885, 1887 and 1892, and at the annual meeting of 
the Connecticut Board of Agriculture in 1888. Mr. Simonds has likewise given close study 
to the science of political economy, and has puljlished several highly interesting papers 
upon economic questions, among Avhich may be named one entitled, "Discontent Among the 
Laboring Classes," in the state labor report for 1888, and one on "Wool and Woollens," 
given in that \ear and printed in full in the Harlford I'os/, and widely copied b\- the public 
press. His brief career in the .state legislature so clearly proved his capacity for legislative 
duties that in 1888, he was nominated for Congress by the Republicans of the first district, 
comprising the counties of Hartford and Tolland. In the ensuing canvass he developed 
remarkable strength, being successful in defeating the sitting Democratic member. As a 
member of the Fifty-first Congress of the United States, Mr. Simonds served from March 4, 
1889, until March 4, 1891. A writer, speaking of his work in Congress, says : 

lie signalized his service in the Fift\'-first Congress by his successful efforts in connection with international 
copyright. A bill looking to that end had been decisively defeated in the House, when Mr. Simonds drew and 
introduced another bill and secured for it, after repeated contests, a victory quite as decisive as its former defeat; 
which bill subsequenth' became a law, it being the first international copyright act of the United States, a measure 
which has been contended for ever since Henry Clay began the agitation of this subject half a centur}- ago. 

Mr. Simonds was unanimously re-nominated for Congress by the Republican congressional 
convention of his district in 1890, but went down with the political landslide which gave 
the Democrats a more than two-thirds majority in the House. In 1891, the office of United 
States commissioner of patents becoming vacant. President Harrison appointed Mr. Simonds 
to the position, which he held until 1893. The selection proved agreeable to persons of all 
shades of political belief, and was favorably commented upon throughout the whole Union, 
Mr. vSimonds's special fitness for the office being indisputable. His administration of the 
office, inchiding some hundreds of judicial decisions, the introduction of reforms and unequalled 
reports to Congress, has been pronounced phenomenal, even by political opponents. Possessing 
great ability as an orator, Mr. Simonds has, on many notable occasions, been chosen to deliver 
formal addresses. His evilog}' on the late Marshall Jewell of Connecticut, delivered in 1883 ; 
his Getty.sburg appropriation speech, delivered in 1885; his ^Memorial Day oration at 





Ui.^'X.mTCV^eC^::^ 



OF CONXECT/CUr, 1861-1894. 211 

Hartford, on May 30, 18S7 ; his historical discourse 011 tlie centennial of the first company of 
the Governor's Horse Guards, in 1889, and his Memorial Day address at Arlington National 
Cemetcr\- in 1893, are all recognized as masterly efforts. Few citizens of Connecticut are 
more popular than !\Ir. Simonds. He is an especial favorite of the veterans of the Civil War, 
and has been the Memorial Day orator in nearly all the large cities of Connecticut. He is a 
member of the military orders known as the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Loyal 
Legion of the United States, and also of several leading organizations of a civic and benevolent 
character. 

Yale gave Mr. Simonds the honorarj' degree of Master of Arts in 1S90, and France made 
him a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 189 1. The following are among his published 
productions: " Law of Design Patents, 1874;" "Historical .\ddress, Canton, Conn., 1S76 ; " 
"Digest of Patent Office Decisions, 1880;" "Summary of Patent Law, 1883;" "Grant 
Memorial Address, Derby, Conn., 18S5;" "Proposed Amendment to Constitution of Conn., 
1886;" "Discontent Among Laboring Classes, in Annual Labor Report, Conn., 1887;" 
"Memorial Day Address, Hartford, Conn., 1887;" "Centennial Address, First Company 
Governor's Horse Guards, Hartford, Conn., 1SS8 ; " ".Speech in Congress, May 9, 1890, on 
Tobacco Schedule of Tariff Bill;" "Report to House of Representatives on International 
Copyright, June 10, 1890," reprinted in Haven's book on .same subject; " Speech in Congress, 
Dec. 3, 1890, on International Copyright; " " Speech in Congress, Feb. 19, 1891, on Shipping 
Bill; " " Natural Right of Property in Intellectual Productions," in Yale Lawjonnial, October, 
1891 ; "Report to Congress as Commissioner of Patents, January, 1892;" "Report to 
Congress as Commi.ssioner of Patents, January, 1893;" " ^Memorial Address at Arlington 
National Cemetery, 1893;" "Are Our Patent Laws Iniquitous?" in Nortli American 
Revic~ic\ December, 1893. 

William E. Simonds was married Oct. 17, 1877, to Sarah J. Mills, daughter of Hon. 
Addison O. Mills of Canton, Conn., now deceased. 




'^OWARD, ;MARK, of Hartford, late president of National Fire Insurance Company, 
was born in Loose, County of Kent, England, I\Iay 27, 1817. His grandfather, 
Mark Howard, had been a leader in an uprising against the tyranny of George 
III., in consequence of which the family estates were confiscated. Hatred of 
oppression drew the studies of Mark Howard, 2d, to the history and government 
of the L mud States. In 1831, with his two .sons, Mark and John, aged respectively thirteen 
and eleven, he crossed the ocean to establish his home in America. P'our weeks after reaching 
Ann .Vrbor, in the territory of ^lichigan, the father died, leaving directions on his death bed 
that the boys should not be sent back to England, as he wi.shed them to be brought up under 
the influence of Republican institutions. Judge Dexter of Ann Arbor was their guardian and 
friend. 

To those who knew Mark Howard in life, his picture will recall the integrity, the force, 
the fearlessness in pursuit of right, that made him, wherever he was, a trusted leader. Com- 
paratively few men in a generation are so fully guided as was he by intellectual and moral 
convictions. His aims were high, his ideals exalted. In his nature the compliance that 
coquettes with principle and compromises with wrong, never for a moment found lodgment. He 
took deep interest in the issues that preceded and followed the war, and, on all the stirring 
questions that from time to time agitated the public, the comnmnity knew in advance just 
where he would be found. He was absolutely fearless, and never more at home than when 
battling for justice at the head of a forloni hope. 



212 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

At the age of se\enteen he established a newspaper in Ann Arbor in the interest of the 
Whig party. It was pnblished one-half in the German language and one-half in English. 
He entered ardently into frontier politics, and while still a minor was appointed clerk of one 
of the branches of the legislature and held the position for two terms. His clear vision and 
well defined opinions brought him into the councils of much older leaders, while his trenchant 
pen gave him an influence far beyond his j^ears. 

At the age of twenty-six he was appointed local agent at Ann Arbor for the Protection 
Insurance Company of Hartford. His services in a narrow field were so valuable that, in 1846, 
he was appointed special agent of the company with authority to supervise existing and to 
establish new agencies at the West, and at that time he removed to Hartford. He was the 
first person in the United States to be employed by any company for this exclusive work. 
He travelled from the Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico by stage coach and steamer, experiencing 
his full share of hardships and adventures. 

The Protection, the Hartford and the ^55tna suffered heavily in the great St. Louis fire 
of 1849. The management of the Protection seriously contemplated permitting the concern 
to die then and there, ha\ing lost heart from repeated disasters. Mr. Howard protested 
against the proposed step as unnecessar)^ and cowardly, begging permission to go in person 
and settle the losses. The cholera was then raging in the city, residents w^ere fleeing for 
their lives, and of those who remained scores were dying daily. Mr. Howard having carried 
his point walked into the pestilence and paying with ready casli the losses, inspired a 
confidence in Hartford institutions which gave them a long push forward toward supremacy. 
Mr. Howard quickly built up a large and profitable business for the Protection at the W^est. 
Eut the gains in that quarter were more than off-set by losses incurred at sea and on our 
inland waters. He protested earnestly but in vain against the continuance of a policy which 
had proved persistent!}- disastrous. The directory, however, refused to heed his warnings. 
Accordingly he severed his connection with the concern rather than be held even remotely 
responsible for its errors. His predictions were verified by its failure in 1854. 

An extract from an address delivered at Niagara Falls, June 9, 1885, by IMr. Charles 
B. Whiting, then secretary of the Hartford Fire Insurance Company, and later president of 
the Orient, touches upon some of the contributions of Mr. Howard to the science of insurance: 

I will only mention one more instruction book, when I am done. It is the issue of the "Protection" of 
about 1848, which was inspired bj- Mark Howard. It was much the most elaborate of an}' before issued, and 
is the basis for all our modern books. Here appear for the first time the definitions of insurance terms. It 
treats of the "Moral Hazard," the "Local and Internal Hazard," and gives full instruction for the inspection 
of risks. Here, also, appear standards for the rating of a large number of risks ; forms of polic}- for a great 
many hazards ; and for the first time, the three-quarter value clause. This book was the greatest contribution 
to insurance literature that had been issued up to that time, and very far in advance of any of the others. The 
definitions are those in vogue to-day, and there has been but little, if any, improvement on the forms there 
put forth. Subsequent books are but an enlargement of this. The text for them all is found within its covers. 

In 1857, the Merchants' Insurance Company was chartered with a capital of $200,000, 
and with permission to Ix-giu business when ten per centum had been paid in, the balance 
of the stock to be represented by notes. Mr. Howard was elected president, July 7, 1857, 
but refused to accej^t unless the entire capital was paid in cash. The condition was com- 
plied with, the Merchants' being the first insurance company in the city to start on a fully 
paid capital. From the beginning it was phenomenally successful, and so continued till 
overwhelmed by the great Chicago fire of October, 1871. No attempt was made to com- 
promise with the sufferers, or to save a single penny from the wreck. On this point 
"Hartford in 1889" says: 

Every dollar was turned over to the policy holders, to be distributed pro rata among creditors. While an 
institution of splendid promise was thus engulfed in the fiery tempest, the managers emerged with a record 
many times more valuable commercially than any salvage which the sharpest settlements could have secured. 



OF CONNECT/CUT, 1861-/894. 213 

Under a charter granted in May, 1869, but till then unused, the parties interested in the Merchants' pro- 
ceeded to form the National Fire Insurance Company, deeming it better to give up the old organization, with 
its honoral)Ie history and good name, than to contend with the complications liable to arise from the unpaid 
balances at Chicago. Oct. 18, 1871, ten days after the outbreak of the great fire, the books were opened, and 
;(*oS,ocio were subscribed on a call for J2oo,ooo, a notable proof both of the unconquerable resolution of the 
community and of confidence in the men who were to conduct the affairs of the new company. At the first 
meeting of the stockholders, Nov. 27, the directors of the Merchants', with few changes, were made directors 
of the National, and it was voted to increase the capital to ^500,000. On the same day the board unanimously 
elected Mark Howard president, and James Nichols secretary. 

Ill 1881, the capital was increased to $1,000,000 and Mr. Howard held the presidency 
till he passed from earth, Jan. 24, 1887. 

Mr. Howard was one of the founders of the Republican party, and for years one of 
its most vigorous and efficient leaders. The Union League of Connecticut was started in 
his private parlors. Gen. Joseph R. Hawley, I'nited vStates senator from Connecticut, who 
knew the man and his work intimately, thus writes of him, " 'Sir. Mark Howard was high 
in the list of those who were ready at any hour, day or night, to work or to gi\'e in the 
cause of the Union. His zeal was unbounded. His moral courage was of the very highest. 
He always insisted upon obeying the verj' highest motives and impulses. He had illimitable 
confidence in the patriotism of the great mass of the people and in an ultimate victory even 
in the darkest hour. In all the political movements that preceded and followed the organiza- 
tion of the Republican part}', Mr. Howard was one of the foremost. He was among the first 
five or ten that actually met and organized and corresponded and talked to get together a 
nucleus of the young party." * • » "Mr. Howard was delightfully impulsive, inspiring, 
hopeful and brave. Some people said he was too impulsive and not practical, just as they 
said of Israel Putnam, Ethan Allen, General Sherman, Phil. Sheridan, etc. Those of us 
who were active thirty or forty years ago will remember him with the greatest affection so 
long as we remember an3-thiiig." 

He was appointed by President Lincoln the first internal revenue collector in Connecticut. 
The system was new and in the absence of decisions on questionable points of law, wide 
latitude in interpretation was left to collectors. Mr. Howard brought to the position rare 
powers as an organizer, keen perceptions and a sturdy sense of justice. He was so fair that 
appeals were seldom taken from his rulings, not a few of which became incorporated in the 
general system of the country. Intensity of conviction renders some people self-assertive and 
disagreeable. Not so with Mr. Howard. He was always the courteous and charming gentle- 
man and was beloved by a large circle of friends. 

Mr. Howard married, Oct. 14, 1852, Miss Angeline Lee of New Britain, Conn., youngest 
daughter of Judge Thomas Lee, and the eighth generation from John Lee, who settled at 
Hartford in 1634. 

Mrs. Howard's great-grandfather was Col. Isaac Lee of Farmington (New Britain) a 
patriot of the Revolution. This branch of the American family traces its descent from John 
Lee of Essex County, England, and inferentially from the ancient and noble family of the 
same name in Shropshire. Her father died when she was sixteen years of age. She was 
educated in part in the celebrated school of her aunt, Mrs. Lincoln Phelps. In her character 
are combined energy, resolution and courage with feminine gentleness and benignity. She 
has travelled extensively at home and abroad. Amid pressing calls of society and charity she 
has found time for a wide range of study, embracing literature and philosophy. For years 
their beautiful home in Hartford was a center of attraction. 

The children of this union are Angeline Lee Howard, married to Morgan W. Beach ; 
Amy Lee Howard, married to Louis Bertrand Graves ; Dr. William Lee Howard, married to 
Clara A. Oatman ; Myra Lee Howard, married to Kirk H. Field. 

28 



214 



REPRESEXTATIl'E MEN 




EARLS, CHARLES EDWIN, of Thompson, lawyer and ex-secretary of state, 
was born in Pomfret, Conn., IMarch 25, 1846. 

The branch of the Searls family from which he is descended was originally 
located at Dorchester, England, and the first emigrants to this country settled in 
and assisted in building up Dorchester, Mass. Salter Searls .was the first of 
the name to transfer his residence to Connecticut, and he found a home in Windham County, 
where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. Of his eight sons, Bela married Hannah Walcott, 
and was the father of Edwin C, who was born in 1815, and died in 1857. In early life he 
was a merchant, but later he went to New York and established himself as a broker. He 
married Caroline, daughter of Darius Mathewson of Pomfret. The subject of this sketch was 
their only son. 

Though born in Pomfret, young Searls's life until he was twelve was nearly all passed 
in Brooklj-n, N. Y. ; at that age he returned to Thompson and has since made his home in 
that town. Private schools in the city of Brookh'u furnished the foundation of his educa- 
tion, Thompson Academy gave the preparation for college, and, entering Yale University, he 
was graduated from that institution in the class of 1868. The intricacies of Blackstone 
being in accordance with his tastes, he began the study of law in the office of Gilbert W. 
Phillips, Esq., of Putnam, and was formally admitted to the bar of Connecticut in 1870. 
Though retaining his residence in Thompson, ]\Ir. Searls at once opened an office in Putnam, 
and is still in the active practice of his profession. Without making a specialty of any 
branch of legal research, he has secured a large and increasing list of clients, including 
nearlv all the extensive corporations of the vicinity, and at the present time he stands in 
the very front rank of the Windham County Bar. 

Everything which affects the welfare of his adopted town, finds in Mr. Searls a 
zealous advocate, and his influence has been felt in numerous beneficent ways. In 1S69, 
he was elected town clerk of Thompson on the Republican ticket, and has served for 
many vears as justice of the peace. He was called upon by his fellow-citizens to serv-e 
as their representative in the lower branch of the state legislature in 1871, and was 
chairman of the committees on new towns and probate districts. For the years 1881 and 
1882, he filled the office of secietary of state, having been elected on the ticket with Gov- 
ernor Bigelow. In 1886, he was again sent to the House of Representatives, and at this 
session was a prominent candidate for the office of speaker, and was chairman of the 
committee on appropriations, and chairman of the committee on constitutional amendments. 

]\Ir. Searls received a complimentary^ vote from his county in the Republican congres- 
sional convention assembled to put in nomination a candidate for Congress from the third 
district in 1884. In whatever station ]\Ir. Searls has been called upon to fill he has 
acquitted himself with credit and to the satisfaction of his constituents. His record as a 
lawyer is clean and free from trickery, and, as he is still on the under side of the half- 
centurj- mark, it may be safely predicted that the future has other and higher honors in 
waiting for his acceptance. 



OF CONNECTICUT, i86i-rS()4. 215 



AY, GEORGE HERBERT, of Hartford, vice-president of the Pope Manu- 
facturing- Company, was born in Brooklyn, Conn., April 3, 1S51. On the 
paternal side, four generations had lived in the fruitful valley of Quinnchau,;^, 
the village of Daj'ville taking its name from his great-grandfather. On the 
maternal line, he is the fifth in descent from Gen. Israel Putnam, through his 
son. Col. Daniel, and granddaughter, Emily Putnam. Another ancestor, whose fame is more 
local than that of General Putnam, was Godfrey Malbone of Newport, R. I. He was an 
eminent merchant of that old cil\-, and was' active in fitting out privateers in the French 
and Spanish wars. At the request of Governor Shirley, he was commissioned to raise a 
regiment of three hundred and fifty men in Rhode Island, to join the expedition against 
Louisburg. Captain Malbone's residence, in the suburbs of Newport, was called "the most 
splendid in all the colonies." Years were spent in its constniction, and it was burned .soon 
after completion. He died in 176S. His granddaughter, Catherine, daughter of Shrimpton 
Hutchinson and Elizabeth (INIalljoue) Hutchinson, married Col. Daniel Putnam, son of the 
general. 

The son of Captain Malbone and brother of Mrs. Hutchinson, Col. Godfrey Malbone, 
Jr., after the financial reverses that befell his father in his declining years, removed, in 1766, 
to the estate of three thousand acres in the Brooklyn Society of Pomfret, bought by the 
Malbones of Gov. Jonathan Belcher. Soon after his .settlement there, the people of the 
village began to agitate the question of replacing the Congregational church which had done 
service for thirty years, by a new edifice better suited to the uKn'e ambitious tastes of the 
time. A potent argument used by the advocates of the measure was that under the laws 
of Connecticut a large share of the expen.se would fall on this new comer. Educated in 
England at the University of Oxford, an ardent loyalist and churchman, he at once roused 
himself to beat the attempt on the part of the chosen people to "despoil the Egyptian." 
The fight was long and vigorous. By an amendment to the early colonial law, e.xtorted by 
growing complaints against its injustice. Episcopalians, where they supported a church and 
ministry of their own, were relieved from the tax for the " standing order." Beginning 
alone, Malbone rallied increasing numbers till, in 1771, Trinity Church, Brooklyn, emerged from 
the smoke of conflict, an established and enduring fact. Mr. Day's family have been mem- 
bers of this historic church since its foundation. 

Having duly improved the advantages offered by the common schools of his native town, 
Mr. Day entered Hobart College, Geneva, N. Y., in 1S69, but left toward the end of the 
first year on account of trouble with his sight. In October, 1870, he moved to Hartford, 
taking a clerkship in the Charter Oak Life Insurance Company, and remaining with that 
institution seven years. He then resigned to enter the employ of the Weed Sewing Machine 
Company, Oct. i, 1877. The enterprise was struggling against adverse conditions. At one 
time the business had been highly prosperous, but profits had faded with growing intensity 
of competition. The plant was well equipped and the skill of its mechanics was unexcelled. 
It was this reputation that attracted to Hartford, in the spring of 1878, Col. Albert A. Pope, 
whose name has since become a household word. He came not only to place an order 
for a small lot of bicycles, but with a view to their future mainifacture here as a stand- 
ard business. Colonel Pope argued with a confidence which no objections could shake, 
that the machine was destined to come into general use. Even the contagion of enthusiasm 
failed to produce general conviction that the ingenious toy could ever find a wide market. 
Mr. Day earnestly favored taking up the bicycle. In this, as in many other cases, results 
have fully proved the correctness of his intuitions. The rapid growth of the business, 



2i6 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

the prosperity of the company following upon the new departure, its leading place in the 
transition which is bringing to the front the industrial forces of the city, may be said to 
mark an epoch in local development. 

The services of Mr. Day were rewarded by rapid promotions. March 17, 1879, he was 
made secretary; Feb. i, 1883, secretary and assistant treasurer; April 17, 1884, .secretary- and 
treasurer; Feb. 5, 1885, trea.surer and general manager ; and March 25, 1887, president and 
treasurer. In 1890, the Pope Manufacturing Company became sole owner of the propert}^ 
through the purchase of the Weed stock. In the re-organization which followed the transfer 
Mr. Day remained in charge of the manufacturing department in Hartford, as vice-president 
and general manager. 

Perhaps a few figures will most clearly exhibit the late growth of the company. From 
the reports of the Board of Trade we learn that, including the rubber works, the number of 
employees increased from 283 in 1888 to 1,022 in 1893, a gain of 261 per cent, in five years, 
and that during the same period the square feet of floor surface increased from 108,342 to 
338,654, a gain of 212 per cent. At the close of the year 1893, it had under roof seven and 
three-fourths acres of flooring. Within that time it absorbed the Hartford Rubber Works, 
multiplying the productive capacity of the plant by six. It also built an elegant factory of 
three stories, the main structure 266 x 50 feet, aside from boiler-house and other accessories, 
for steel tube drawing. 

While attentive to profits, the company has been regardful of the comfort, health and 
education of employees. In the winter of 1887-88, it opened a large and sunm- reading-room 
for use at noon. The tables are strewn with papers and magazines, while fresh treasures 
are added year by year to the library .shelves. Soup, coffee and other light refreshments of 
the best quality are served at cost. Each man has a separate locker for clothing. All the 
arrangements tend to cultivate habits of cleanliness and self-respect. Mr. Day believes that 
expenditures thus made with sole reference to the well-being of the men, by heightening their 
zeal, alertness and efficiency, incidentalh- yield excellent returns as an investment. 

In 1889, ]\Ir. Day persuaded the directors of the Weed Company to adopt a long-nurtured 
scheme of his for supplying in the \icinity of the works high-grade tenements at moderate 
rentals. Columbia street was opened on vacant property of the company, and twenty-four 
houses were built at a cost of about $70,000. Although in block, each, containing nine rooms 
and fitted to meet the most exacting demands of con^'enience and health, is planned for a 
single family. When the Weed people sold their shares to Colonel Pope, this interest was 
detached and separately incorporated. The investment not only attracted a very desirable 
colony but has proved highly remunerative. On similar lines of development Mr. Day and 
his associates have other schemes in view of a far more comprehensive character. Under 
the title of "Good News for Hartford" the Courant said, editorially, in May, 1894: "The 
article elsewhere, on the removal of the oiBces of the Pope Manufacturing Company from 
Boston to this city, deser\-es a careful reading. It conveys good news, mighty good news, 
too, for Hartford. Already Colonel Pope and Mr. Day have done a deal for this city. This 
new move identifies the great interests Colonel Pope controls still closer with Hartford, and 
gives promise of benefit alike to city and factory. And the suggestions of how the whole 
city can be improved and of what more public spirit can do for the conununity may reason- 
ably be hoped to lead to further progress. Whatever Colonel Pope and ]\Ir. Day have 
touched here they have made better. Their factories are models, and the various improve- 
ments that they have undertaken have had a public as well as a private value. The pres- 
ence of such men is worth a great deal to a city, and we congratulate all Hartford on the 
added prospei'ity and the further awakening of public spirit of which this new and impor- 
tant step gives promise." 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 217 

In 188S, Mr. Day took a leading pari in organizing the Board of Trade, in which he 
has been a director from the start. In 1890, this association decided that the welfare of the 
city wonld be advanced by the erection of an indnstrial building. Accordingly, a company 
with a ]xiid capital of $100,000 was formed, which proceeded to put up a massive, elegant, 
well-lighted factorv of four floors, 360 feet long. IMr. Day was director and vice-president. 
As the structure neared completion the directors became convinced that the interests of the 
shareholders would be promoted by a sale of the property. Mr. Day was requested to find a 
purchaser. He conducted negotiations with such celerity and success that in a short time 
the subscribers to the stock received back their money with interest. The present owners 
occupv al)out one-half of the floor space, renting the rest in accordance with the plans of 
the projectors. 

Owing to the deadlock in the legislature of Connecticut, no appropriation was made to 
aid the people of the state in presenting a suitable display of their arts and industries at the 
Columbian Exposition in 1893. To meet the exigency $50,000 was raised by private 
subscriptions. Governor Bulkeley appointed a board of managers for the commonwealth, 
of which Mr. Day was a member, and also treasurer of the above fund, and of the further 
appropriation afterwards added by the legislature. Beginning late on account of the deadlock, 
the board was compelled to repair the evils of lost time by the energy of its movements. 
Mr. Dav repeatedly visited Chicago in the discharge of his duties. The success accomplished 
by the united action of the members is too recent and too widely known to need comment. 

Mr. Day is a trustee in the Society for Savings and the Dime Savings Bank, a director 
in the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Conipany, the American National Bank, in many 
manufacturing companies, and in educational and charitable institutions. 

Though deeply interested in public affairs, and always ready to contribute freely both 
time and money to promote the public welfare, he has manifested intense distaste for public 
office. 

As would be inferred from the success of the enterprises with which he has been con- 
nected, and in the management of which he has been largely responsible, Mr. Dav 
possesses keen perceptions and sound judgment united with a broad grasp of affairs. To a 
marked degree he commands the confidence, esteem and affection of the people with whom 
he is brought into personal relations. Thoughtful of others and forgetful of self, he has 
unconsciously won the good will of all, not by seeking popularity but by deser\ing it. 

Mr. Day married Oct. 13, 1877, Katharine Beach, daughter of J. Watson Beach, a 
member of the firm of Beach «S: Company, one of the prominent importing houses of the 
country. He was director, and at one time president, of the Mercantile National Bank, 
president of the Weed Sewing Machine Company, and a director in several other corpora- 
tions. He was a man of wide information, great intelligence and genial nature, sharing the 
burdens of business and lending a helping hand to every public interest. He was the ninth 
child of George Beach, for many years the president of the Phoeni.v Bank, who had a family 
of thirteen sons and four daughters. J. Watson Beach died March 17, 1887. The family 
has long been prominent in the business and social affairs of Hartford. 




2i8 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



m Px^.>,gRATT, FRANCIS ASBURY, of Hartford, president of the Pratt & Whitney 
N llij?id^ p^ Company, was born in Woodstock, Vt., Feb. 15. 1827. 

Among the earliest of English surnames occurs the name of Pratt. j\Iany 
of its branches have held stations of influence and power in the British 
Empire. The first American ancestor of the Connecticut family was John 
Pratt, who came from the southern part of England and settled in Dorchester, Mass., where 
he was made a freeman May 4, 1632. Of his son John's children, the third John in the 
familv line located at Reading, Mass., from which place the family ultimately removed to 
Reading, Vt. Charles Pratt, a native of Reading, Vt., was a man of great mental and 
physical strength. Transferring his residence to Michigan in 1834, he died there at the 
advanced age of ninety-four. His son, Nathaniel ^I. Pratt, was born in Reading, Vt., in 
the opening year of this century. He carried on business as a leather dealer, and was a 
noted speaker in the temperance cause at a time when such agitation was the reverse of 
popular. Francis A. was the son of Nathaniel M. and Frances M. (Nutting) Pratt. 

From his childhood, young Pratt showed mechanical inclinations which gave indication 
of genius. At an early age the boy was found repeatedly stealing away from his compan- 
ions to construct and put in operation a turning lathe, a water wheel, or a steam engine. 
While other lads were at play after school or on holidays, he employed his time with a 
jack-knife and such rude tools as he could command, in giving shape and form to mechani- 
cal designs which had previously been evolved from his busy brain during school hours, or 
when lying awake at night ; schemes of a practical nature even then, as in later life, 
effectually banishing sleep. 

When he was eight j'ears old ls\x. Pratt's parents moved to Lowell, ^lass., and his 
education begun in his native town was continued in his new home until he was seventeen. 
He had the good fortune to be apprenticed to Warren Aldrich, a machinist of excellent 
reputation as to his workmanship, and a kind master. The indifferent facilities with which 
the machine shops of that day were supplied, furnished just the incentive which the young 
apprentice needed to bring into exercise his expanding inventive genius. The lack of a 
proper tool was often in his case the occasion of an invention which filled the need. At 
the age of twenty, Mr. Pratt went to Gloucester, N. J., where Jie was employed first as a 
journeyman, and later as a contractor. In 1852, having secured a position in the pistol 
factor}- of Samuel Colt, he removed to Hartford, where he has since made his home. Being 
offered the foremanship of the Phoenix Iron Works, he accepted the situation, and finally 
became superintendent of the works. While at Colt's factory, he had made the acquaintance 
of Mr. Amos Whitney, and, knowing him to be a skilled workman, when an important open- 
ing was to be filled at the Phoenix Works, he selected Mr. Whitney, and the two labored 
together at this establishment until 1861. 

The year before closing their connection with the Phoenix Works, the young men made 
their plans and resolved to unite their fortunes. Hiring a room, some of their first work 
was done for the Willimantic Linen Conipau)-. A few months after getting into operation, 
their shop was destroyed by fire, but another month found them settled in new quarters, 
the energ}' of their subsequent career thus early showing itself in action. Here they con- 
tinued to grow, until all the available space in the building was occupied by their machiner}'. 
In 1862, Pratt & Whitney took Munroe Stannard of New Britain into partnership, and in 
view of the present capital of half a million, their contribution of $1,200 each as a work- 
ing basis seems almost preposterous. From "Hartford in 1889," a volume prepared by Mr. 
P. H. Woodward, secretary of the Hartford Board of Trade, some pertinent paragraphs 
are quoted : 



OF CONNECTICUT, rSdi-zSg^. 219 

Begiiiniiij; with tlie iiiamifaclure of machine tools, jtuii tools, and tools for the makers of sewing machines, 
the firm has grailually extended its lines till a partial catalogue of its products fills hundreds of pages. Here, 
in applied mechanics, the resources of science and art have been long and conscientiously devoted to the task 
of embodving the ideal in the real. A poor piece of work was never knowingly allowed to be done on the 
premises. To the mind of every one conversant with the business tlie imprint of the establishment signifies 
simplicity, strength, precision, elegance, durability, and complete adaptation of means to ends. Kssential as is 
the question of prices and profits, it has here always ranked secondary to the (ptestion of materials and work- 
ttiaiiship. 

The company made an invaluable contribution to science not less than the mechanical arts by producing, 
after vears of effort and at great expense, a machine for exact and uniform measurements. The troubles which, 
from lack of standard guages, beset every large shop, and the growing demand for the production of inter- 
changeable bolts and nuts, early in the sixties led to the general agitation of the subject among mechaihical 
en.gincers, especially those connected with the building and repair shops of railways, with a view of finding, 
if possible, a reme<ly for the evil, .\niong the benefits secured a few may be mentioned by way of illustration : 
Railways now find it practicable to have all bolts and nuts of any one size perfectly interchangeable. The 
adoption of definite diameters for the centers and tires of locomotive driving-wheels has reduced the number of 
sizes from infinitude to six. The production of pipe and fittings has been brought to uniformity. Standard 
guages for these and other uses, too many to be enumerated, arc made by The Pratt & Whitney Company. 

The stor\- of the financial and other strnggles of the early partners in laying the 
foundation of the present great corporation read.s like one of Jules Verne's romances. None 
but the parties themselves can ever understand, much less appreciate, the nature or the 
magnitude of the obstacles they encountered, the sacrifice involved, and the unceasing and 
gigantic efforts employed, in surmounting them one after another as they were presented. 
If the two young men had not possessed a reserve fund of phick, endurance and determina- 
tion, which gave them a sublime faith in themselves and a confidence which could not suffer 
defeat, the end sought would never have been successfully attained. In 1869, under a 
charter from the state, the Pratt & Whitney Company was incorporated, with a capital of 
5^350,000, afterwards increased to $500,000 from earnings. Of the present company, Mr. 
Pratt is president, and has been from the start the controlling spirit. He has uiade no less 
than eight trips to Europe, principally in the interests of the company, and has secured 
foreign business amotinting to nearly three millions of dollars. The European features of 
the company's output are entirely the result of his suggestions and efforts. The value of 
the coiniections thus formed and of the reputation gained for the Pratt & Whitney Com- 
pany throughout the civilized world, it would be impossible to compute by a money 
standard. Taking a broad and comprehensive \iew of lousiness affairs, Mr. Pratt believes 
that for his company the world is its field, and therefore that it is only necessary to 
seek business in a liberal and intelligent way to secure it every time in the open market. 

He has been a conspicuous exponent of the industrial enterprises of Hartford for 
the last score and a half of years. Having acquired a high reputation among scientific 
men at home and abroad, Mr. Pratt is regarded as an expert in nearly every brancli of 
mechanical art. This reputation gained for him in 1891 an appointment from the secre- 
tary of the treasur\- of the United States as one of the board of commissioners for the expert 
examination of the treasury vaults. The city of Hartford has received eight years of valu- 
able ser\-ice from him — four as a member of the Board of Water Commissioners, and four 
years as one of the city fathers on the Board of Aldermen. Beside the immense corporation 
of which he is the head, Mr. Pratt is president of the Electric Generator Company, ami is 
a director in the Pratt &. Cady Company. Interested in everything which tends to develop 
the business prosperity of his adopted city, he holds a directorship in that energetic organ- 
ization, the Hartford Board of Trade. He is a valued member of the American Society of 
Mechanical luigineers. Joining the Masonic fraternity in early life, he is now a Master 
i^Iason and member of St. John's Lodge. 



220 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

Oct. 31, 1851, a double wedding occurred in Lowell, Mass. F. A. Pratt was joined in 
marriage to Harriet E., daughter of John R. Cole of Lowell. At the same time and place, 
ex-aldermau Asa S. Cook of Hartford, married an older sister. Eight children have been 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Pratt, five of whom died in infancy, and one son at the age of 
twenty-six years. Of the two surviving children, Carrie Louise is now Mrs. J. E. Spalding 
of Hartford, and Francis C. Pratt, a graduate of the Sheffield Scientific School, is in busi- 
ness \^\\.\\ his father. 




;ETM0RE, JOHN GRINNELL, of Winsted, manufacturer, and president of the 
Winsted National Bank, was born in Winchester, April 27, 18 17. 
Uf:~i The Wetmore family of Connecticut is descended from Thomas Whitmore, 

who came from the west of P^ngland to Boston, ]\Iass., in 1635, being the 
elexenth \'ear of the reign of Charles the First. The first mention of his 
name to be found in the colonial records is in the Wethersfield town records in 1639-40, as 
the owner of certain lands, where it appears he first settled on coming to the Connecticut 
river. Subsequentlv he removed to Hartford, though the exact date is unknown. Later, 
Mr. Whitmore, with his father-in-law, John Hall, and three others were the fii-st to settle the 
plantation of Mattabesek, now IMiddletown. The spelling of the name began to be changed 
to its present form in the third generation, and was very generally adopted in the fourth. 
Mr. Whitmore was married three times and became the father of si.xteen children. Of the.se, 
the family line comes down through Samuel, the seventh, Samuel, Jr., John and Seth, to a 
second John, born in Winchester, October, 1780. He married Huldah, daughter of Thomas 
and Phccbe (Grinnell) Spencer, by whom he had seven children, John G. Wetmore being 
the fifth. 

A common school education was all that the future nranufacturer and capitalist received. 
His first business venture was as merchant in compan\- with Lucius Clarke, and later he 
was extensivelv engaged as a builder. The production of woolen goods occupied his atten- 
tion for several years, and finally he began the manufacture of pins, which he continued 
with great success up to the time of his death. 

The present flourishing New England Pin Compau)-, of which he was part owner and 
manager, was organized in 1851, with Mr. Wetmore as general manager. It was the day of 
small things, the machines were few in number, of old style and of poor working qualities. 
Large quantities of pins were imported at this time, and the manufacture in this country 
was monopolized by the American and Howe Pin Companies, for the reason principally that 
the}- held the onl\- patent for sticking pins. He was determined to overcome the difference 
between his company and their competitors. Setting his in\-entive genius to work, after 
two years of constant application and an expense of $20,000, he perfected a machine which 
would do the work of ten of those owned b}- the old companies. As soon as these machines 
weriSJpnt in operation the New England Company made rapid strides towards success. From 
time to time other companies were purchased, and the business merged into the parent 
corporation. Among them were companies in New Jersey, Boston, Montreal, Cohoes, N. Y., 
and the last being the Pvramid Pin Company, a large establishment located at New Haven. 
Naturally the business a.ssumed immense proportions. The present plant is furnished with 
every modern improvement, and has a capacity for the production of 11,000,000 pins daily. 
Jay E. Spaulding, son-in-law of Mr. Wetmore, came into the concern as book-keeper in 



I 



rj. 







or' CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 221 

iS-2, three years later he was made secretary of the company, and for the past ten years 
he has been business manager as well. vSince ^Ir. Wetmore's death he continues as the 
executive head of the concern. 

In political life Mr. Wetmore was originally an old line Whig, and on the formation of 
the Republican partv he became a member, and was ever afterwards a sturdy upholder of 
its principles. Whenever he thought it would advance the interests of the town he allowed 
himself to be elected to various offices. He has been selectman of the town, and was one 
of the first officers of the borough of Winsted, having been warden from 1862 to 1865. 
Vox ilie years 1861 and 1862 he represented the town in the state legislature. 

Mr. Wetmore was untiring in his efforts to build that portion of the town known as 
the "Centre Village," which is the northern termination of the Naugatnck Railroad. In 
1872, he erected the Winsted Opera House, one of the finest and most complete in its 
appointments in the state, with a seating capacity of 1,200, and not long aft'cr he erected 
the fine brick building known as the Wetmore Block. Not all of Mr. Wetmore's life was 
devoted to manufacturing. In 1878, he organized the Winsted National Bank, was chosen 
its first president, and held that office until his health failed. The bank was located in the 
opera house block, in a portion Ijuilt expressly for that purpose, and was in all respects a 
complete banking office. 

.\ man of enlarged views, :\Ir. Wetmore was alwa\s recognized as one of the most 
public spirited citizens Winsted ever possessed. His life was one of .steady and active 
devotion to business. The great success attained has been the natural result of his aljility 
to examine and readily comprehend any subject presented to liim, with power to decide 
promptlv, and courage to act with vigor and persistency in accordance with his convictions. 
Such men gi\e tone and solidity to any community, and their taking away is ever to be 
deplored. 

Oct. 3, 1 84 1, John G. Wetmore was united in marriage with Eliza Frisbe Rosseter of 
Har\vinton, Conn. vShc died March 9, 1847. He was married the second time, in 1849, to 
Kliza Phoebe, daughter of Col. Roswell Lee, for twenty years superintendent of the United 
States armory at Springfield, Mass. One daughter, Eliza R., who married Mr. J. E. 
Spaulding, was the result of the first marriage. 

Said the Winsted Press at the time of his death: "The New England Pin Company, 
of which Mr. Wetmore w-as president, was organized in 1851, and owes its success to his 
invention of a machine for sticking pins, and also to his ability as a business man. He 
was quick in his perception, deep in his plans, sound in his judgment of everj- day affairs, 
wilful and determined in the execution of his designs. He paid homage to power, wielding 
it with a strong hand when it was his, and yielding to it as readily as other men wdien he 
saw the necessity. What he agreed to do he did, and what he did was thoroughly done, 
every detail looked after, every item scrutinized. Spurred by the pleasure of money-making, 
he was about his business early and late. Outside of his office and his business he was 
companionable, free in conversation, and free enough in his purse. His energy, good sense 
and devotion to his own interests made him a most valuable citizen, and one whose place 
it will be difficult for his successors to fill. He builded houses and factories. He created 
business, he gave employment to working people, and in his relations to the latter he was 
a master who won respect by enforcing obedience and fulfilling to the letter his business 
obligations. He was a strong man, and by the people of this village will be really missed." 



29 




222 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 



^ARRIS, JONATHAN NEWTON, merchant, banker and philanthropist, was 
born in Salem, Conn., Nov. i8, 1815. He is sixth in descent from James 
Harris, who was in Boston, Mass., 1666, where in 1683, seven of his children 
were baptized in the Old Sonth :\Ieeting Honse. In abont 1690, with his wife 
and three sons, James, Asa and Ephraim, he came to New London, where he 
died in 1715, at the age of 74 years. The family were noted for their sterling qualities of 
mind and were men of deep religious convictions, and these characteristics are found in 
their full exemplification in the subject of this sketch. 

Mr. Harris was educated for the life of a merchant, and when about twenty years of 
ao-e he came to New London, Conn., and entered the employ of one of the large mercantile 
firms there. Two vears later he commenced business on his own account and in his own 
name. By sifbsequent changes the firm became Harris & Brown, Harris, Ames & Company, 
and Harris, Williams & Company, which firm continued until 1865, when he retired from 
that branch of business to take charge of greater and more important financial interests. 

In 1848, in company with others, he established the firm of J. N. Harris & Company 
of Cincinnati, Ohio, a concern which has now continued in business almost half a century, 
and has on its books the names of more than twenty thousand merchants with whom the 
company has done business in the South and West. Mr. T. H. C. Allen of that firm has 
been the resident partner and manager at Cincinnati. ^Ir. Harris, however, continued to 
reside at New London. In 1862, during the Civil War and later, Air. Harris, in company 
with Mr. Hill of Philadelphia, built collieries and operated what were known as the " Hill 
& Harris" coal mines at INIahanoy City, Pa., which enterprises were very successful, the 
coal from these mines becoming widely known for its power to generate steam. These 
mines were sold just before the panic of 1873. 

Mr. Harris has been for more than forty }-ears connected with banking and financial 
institutions. He was director in the Bank of Commerce for many jears, and, since 1876, 
has been president of the New London City National Bank. He has also been connected 
with railroad and steam na\igation companies. One of the organizers, he was for scA-eral 
years the president of the Fellows Medical IVIanufacturing Company of Montreal, Can., with 
branches in New York and London, Eng. He was also director in the Davis .S: Lawrence 
Company of ^Montreal, director in the New London Northern Railroad, of the New London 
Steamboat Company and in several other companies. 

He represented his town in the lower branch of the state legislature in 1855, at which 
session he served as a member of the joint standing committees on banks and on finance, 
where his experience gave weight to his counsel. It was at this session that the free bank- 
ing law, enacted in 1852 as an experiment, and which had caused serious loss to the 
stockholders, was repealed, and the banks which had been organized under the provisions 
of that law were given special charters. In 1864, he was senator from his district and was 
chairman of the joint standing connnittee on banks. At this session of the legislature an 
act was passed enabling the state banks to organize under the national banking law, while 
still retaining their rights under their old charters, with all the privileges originally granted, 
so that they might at any time thereafter, without further legislation, surrender their national 
organization and resume business under their old charters. Nearly all the state banks 
subsequently adopted the national banking act, the best and safest system of banking ever 
established by any nation. 

After being a member of the city government for a number of years, Mr. Harris was 
mayor of the city for six consecutive years, from 1856 to 1862. In this capacity he rendered 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-/894. 223 

assistance to his old friend Governor Buckingham amid the trying scenes of the opening 
years of the Civil War. New London was the centre for recruiting in his part of the state, 
and Fort Trumbidl in that town was the rendez\ous for troops going to the front. At 
times whole regiments were quartered at that post. During the war, on almost every 
Sabbath, Mr. Harris had charge of the religious services at the fort. Some of those 
meetings were long remembered for their helpful influence. 

In 1854, the "Maine law" was passed by the legislature of Connecticut. It was full 
of strength and vigor, easy to enforce, and was executed according to its terms. All the 
city government were in favor of the law and its prompt enforcement. When this was done, 
there was but little business before the police court ; the officers had rest and the city had 
peace and quiet as never before. This continued until about i860, when public opinion 
began to set again.st so much rigor ; soon rumors of civil war arose and the trend of public 
interest set in another direction. 

Mr. Harris has been noted for his ardent love for the cause of Christianity, and has 
become prominent for his devotion to Christian education. He was an early and firm friend 
of the great evangelist, Dwight L,. Moody, and aided materially in founding Mount Hernion 
School and Northfield Seminary. IMore than one Hermonite has just cause to feel a personal 
gratitude for his direct aid and encouragement. The Hermonite, a well edited paper published 
at Mount Hermon, has the following paragraph regarding the new president : 

At the graduation exercises of the last class which left Ilermou's halls on June 13, 1893, the Hon. J. N. 
Harris presided in the absence of both the president, the late Mr. Hiram Camp, who was then near death's 
door, and the vice-president, Hon. William H. Haile. Mr. Harris presided with becoming dignity, and his 
benign smile and fatherly words did much to lessen the disappointment felt by the students at not being again 
permitted to greet Mr. Camp and to listen to his happy response. 

At a meeting of the board of trustees, held at Springfield, Mass., in the autumn (1S93) for the purpose of 
electing a president of that body, Mr. Harris was chosen. This honor is a most fitting one to bestow upon him 
because of his long connection with the school as trustee, and his untiring interest and aid in its development. 
A more satisfactory choice could not have been made. As students of Mount Hermon we feel that the interests 
of our school will he well looked after under a president so eminently fitted for that position in the manage- 
ment, and we hope he may be spared to us many years to aid in the fuller development of the institution 
which he knows from its inception. 

In religious work and education in Japan Mr. Harris has taken a deep interest, 
especially as planned by the Rev. Joseph Hardy Neesima, a Japanese educated in the 
United States through the kindness of the late Alpheus Hardy of Boston. In 1889, he 
founded and endowed the Harris School of Science, which constitutes the scientific depart- 
ment of the Do.shisha University at Kioto, Japan. This munificent gift amounted to 
^100,000, and the school of science was opened in 1890. The scope and purpose of this gift 
of ^Ir. Harris are set forth in his letter to the tnistees, Januarj-, 1890, in which he says : 

In the hope of promoting the cause of Christ in Japan, and of providing opportunities for instruction in 
science under the best Christian influences, I devote one hundred thousand dollars to the establishing of a 
school of science, and for scientific instruction, in connection with what is known as the Doshisha at Kioto, 
Japan. This school of science is to constitute a part of a Christian university, which is to supplement the 
present collegiate course and is to be known as the Harris School of Science. 

His generosity in dealing with worthy and charitable projects has been felt on numer- 
ous occasions. He built and presented to the city the Memorial Hospital, whose doors were 
opened Aug. i, 1893. His public spirit and the confidence he feels in New London's future, 
were illustrated when he erected the Harris Building, the leading business structure in the 
city, and one of the finest in the state of Connecticut. 



224 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

He has been connected with many religions and charitable organizations, and was chair- 
man of the state executive committee of the Young Men's Christian Association of Connecti- 
cut, who, in 1875, inaugurated a sj'stem of evangelistic meetings in connection with the 
churches in the smaller towns and parishes in the state. These meetings were conducted 
by members of the executi\e committee, which were coutiniied, except in summer months, 
until 1881. This work was done entirely free of charge to the churches visited, and the 
results were verj' helpful. 

Mr. Harris was a charter member of the Connecticut Bible Society ; a corporate mem- 
ber of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign jVIissions ; a charter member and 
president for several years of the board of trustees of the international committee of the 
Young Men's Christian Association, New York ; was charter member and president of the 
Young INIen's Christian Association of New London, and member of the board of trustees; 
was president of the board of trustees of Bradley vStreet Mission for twent}' vears, 1874 to 
1894 ; was director of the Evangelistic Association of New England, with headquarters at 
Boston. 

From time to time Mr. Harris has been connected with many other religious organiza- 
tions for Christian work. For nearlv twenty vears (in summer) he was one of the leaders 
in sustaining open-air religious meetings on the streets and byways of the city. He was a 
member of the Second Congregational church of New London, and one of its deacons. 

Mr. Harris has been twice married; first, ]\Iay, 1843, to Jane ^L, daughter of Benjamin 
Brown of New London. She bore him eight children, but she and they have all passed over 
to the other shore. He was next man-ied, July, 1869, to Martha, daughter of Hon. Lewis 
Strong of Northampton, and granddaughter of Gov. Caleb vStrong of Massachusetts. 



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TORRS, MELANCTHON, M. D., of Hartford, ex-president of the Connecticut 
State Medical Society, was born in Mansfield, Conn., Oct. 2, 1823. 

Storrs is a Scandinavian, or rather Teutonic word, meaning great, in the 
sense of royal power or authority. Its form in old Norse is Stor ; in Anglo- 
Saxon, Stor, Stur, and old German, Stur, and in English, Stor, Storr, Storrs. 
The spelling of the names in England was not settled till about 1700, and the name Storrs 
is varied like the others, ranging through a dozen changes from Stor to Stoares and Storyes. 
Storrs is found in documents of the thirteenth century', and may then have been long in use. 
Through Johanna \Vhite, wife of Robert Storrs, the faraih' is allied to the Shelleys and 
Sidneys, two of the historic families of England. 

The earliest known ancestor of Samuel Storrs, the emigrant, was William Storr.s, of 
Sutton-cum-Lound, whose will was proved in 1557. From him the line conies down by 
direct succession through Robert Cordall, to Thomas Storrs of York. His wife's name was 
Mary, and of their seven children Samuel was the fourth. He was born in 1639, and came 
to Barnstable, Mass., in 1663. On so excellent an authority as Mr. Charles StoiTs, who spent 
twenty years preparing a history of the family, it may be stated that with the exception of a 
small family of the same English stock in Richmond, Va., no one of the name of Storrs has 
been found in this country- who is not descended from Samuel Storrs of Barnstable. About 
1698, he removed to Mansfield, Conn., of which town he and his eldest son, Samuel, Jr., 
were among the proprietors. He was one of the original nine male members of the Mansfield 
church, and is said to have been a large, fine looking man, and the allusions to him show him 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-/894. 225 

to have been prominent and influential in the religious and social affairs of the town. Joseph, 
son of Samuel, Jr., was the father of Rev. William Storrs, a most faithful pastor of .\shford, 
Conn. His son, William, Jr., married Harriet E., daughter of Othniel Woodward of Westford, 
Conn., and of their eleven children ^Nlclancthon was the eldest. William Storrs was an 
industrious and frugal man, a farmer and manufacturer of furniture, who lived to the good 
old age of nearlv ninety-two, enjoying to the last the confidence and respect of all who knew 
him. Mrs. Storrs was said to have been " a woman of good common sense, devoted to the 
■welfare of her family, unmindful of her own ease and comfort. In her strong faith and 
exemplary life, she left a rich inheritance to her children." 

Until he was twenty-one, Melancthon Storrs lived at home, alternately working with his 
father and teaching in the district schools. The theon,- and practice of medicine being 
attractive to his tastes, he commenced its study with Dr. F. L. Dickinson of Willington, Conn. 
At the end of two \ears his studies in medical lore were suspended to enter Brown University. 
In 1850, he entered Yale College, and was graduated from there in 1852. The following 
year was spent in New York teaching deaf mutes, continuing the medical studies as he had 
opportunity. Later he took a course at the Yale Medical College, and received his degree 
of M. D., in the latter part of 1853. Locating in Colchester, Conn., Dr. Storrs at once entered 
upon the practice of his profession, and remained there until the call was made to arms in 
1861. Though he was rapidly gaining reputation and success as a practitioner, he was not 
long in determining the course for him to pursue. When the Eighth Regiment was organized 
in the fall of 1861, he entered the ser\-ice as surgeon of that command. His ability- was 
promptlv recognized, and he was promoted to the brigade headquarters under General Harland 
of Norwich, who commanded the Connecticut Brigade. This organization at Antietam 
was composed of the Eighth, Eleventh and Sixteenth Connecticut and a regiment from 
Rhode Island. Subsequently the Twenty-first and Fifteenth Regiments were added to the 
command. The officers at headquarters were principally Connecticut men, and the comrade- 
ship of the staff was of the finest character. In the group Dr. Storrs was a prominent and 
noted figure, being fitted by education and natural qualifications for the social position that 
was conceded him. Not that he ever thought of assuming superiority on account of his 
position. That was not possible with a man of his temperament and modesty. But he was 
one of the most enjoyable of associates, and was loved by the brigade. He was in several of 
the hardest battles of the war, including Antietam and Fredericksburg. Towards the con- 
clusion of the contest, he was executive surgeon of the army hospital at Fortress Monroe, 
a position of great responsibility and trust. In October, 1864, Surgeon Storrs completed his 
three years' term of ser\'ice. Under a general act of Congress he remained in the field as acting 
staff surgeon United States Army until July 17, 1865, making nearly four years of active 
ser\-icc in the army. These years were characterized by the pleasantest of memories not less 
than by the most exacting requirements. 

No ofRccr is brought more intimately into relationship with the men than the surgeon 
who is faithful to the duties entrusted to his attention. Equally with the chaplain he is the 
confidant and adviser of the men, and there is a trust felt in him that cannot be felt towards 
any one el.se. The office of army surgeon is one deserving of great respect and admiration, 
and, when occupied by a man of the high personal traits of Dr. Storrs, it becomes one of 
most influential positions in the brigade or division. He made the office all that it was intended 
to be, surrounding it with the most pronounced personality and good fellowship. It should 
not be presumed that Dr. Storrs was not a strict di.sciplinarian, for such he was, and always 
demanded that recognition which he was invariably willing to extend to the rank and authority 
of others. In camp and on the march he was the soul of honor and justice, dealing with the 



226 REPRESEXTATH'E MEN 

men and interests pertaining to tlae position which he held with the utmost fairness. With 
the veterans he holds the most admirable position to this day, and is the possessor of their 
unswerving respect and confidence. 

Speaking of the suffering of the troops, in one place the "Military and Ci\'il History of 
Connecticut During the War," says: "Of the Eighth Regiment, sixty lay sick of fever at 
Morehead City, and nearly forty died of typhoid fever. There were only two captains present 
for duty April 21, and Surgeon Melancthon Storrs was the only well "man of the field or staff 
officers; and it was fortunate that he was an exception, for his skill and tireless devotion to 
the regiment rendered him of incalculable service." In another place the same authority says 
of him: " He had showed himself diligent; quietly faithful, skillful, cool in battle, quick to 
see, and steady and calm in executing. He was often summoned from his regiment to positions 
requiring ability and reliability at corps and general hospitals. So manifest was his excellence, 
that he was sent for a special purpose to Washington. Dr. Eli McClellau, the surgeon of the 
regular army in charge of the United States General Hospital of Fortress Monroe, in endorsing 
his orders added the statement that ' Dr. Storrs was the most efficient surgeon ever on duty 
at this ho.spital.' " 

At the close of the war Dr. Storrs settled in Hartford, where he has since made his home. 
He is one of the trio of physicians who form the front rank of the profession, and he worthily 
deserves the place accorded him. Dr. Storrs has successfully performed some of the most 
intricate and difficult operations known in the range of surgical knowledge, and his skill in 
this peculiar field is unrivalled. His removal of the tri-facial nerve, and his work on the 
cleft palate should receive special mention, as he is the only man in the state who performs 
this operation, while in the line of intestinal surgery he stands unequalled. At the meeting 
of the Connecticut ^Medical Society in Alay, 1887, he read an interesting paper on "The 
Neurectomv of the Tri-Facial Nerve," a subject with which he is most intimately acquainted. 

That Dr. Storrs is highly esteemed by his contenrporaries is evidenced by the numerous 
official positions to which he has been elevated. In 1891, he was elected president of the 
Connecticut State Medical Society, and his address at the meeting on " The Health of Our 
Schools" was afterward? published by the state as a school document, such was its inherent 
value. It touched upon the school building, its ventilation and safety from fire, and went on 
to discuss the age and time of study, exercises, manual and industrial training, inspection, 
sanitary legislation, and closed with the following words : 

It has been said tliat llie Connecticut school has relatively declined. It may be that in the great success, in 
the glorious traditions of the earh' schools of the state, we have relied too much upon our inherited advantages, or 
been too conservative in the adoption of the new methods of study and management, successful in other states. 
But our discussion confines us to the lines of health. We presume that in the first schools planted here in the 
wilderness, though they were under the supervision of such illustrious men as Davenport, Mason, Hopkins, Hooker 
and Eaton, some of whom had studied the free schools in their exile home in Holland, the matter of school 
sanitation had never been discussed. Neither did the pilgrims on board the Mayflower discuss the question of 
putting a steam engine into that little ship. Sanitation is a word of this generation, and alread}' is not fully 
expressive of the most advanced ideas in this direction. The hygienic watchword to-day in Europe, more than 
in this country, is asepsis. It is this that is cleaning the streets of the continent. It is reducing the death rate 
of the cities, and bids defiance to plague and pestilence, and our mission as physicians in this great work is not 
ended, until we see this great principle not only pervading and permeating our schools, but made authoritatively 
and permanently effectual. When this is done a long step forward has been made in regaining the reputation and 
the glory of the Connecticut school. 

In 1892, Dr. Storrs was made president of the Section of Surgery at the centennial meeting 
of the society, and read a most valuable and interesting paper on "A Century of Surgical 
Progress — its Cau.sative Conditions." As an example of the style of that which preceded it, 
the closing paragraph is quoted : 




/ / 



-O 6^,,/i.^.^-^ 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 227 

When we talk of iiieilicinc and surt;t'ry in this little state, \vc feel that we have a common country, and a 
common inheritance, that we are one tojjcther like Kn.i;lan(l, like France. But yet this little state of Connecticut 
has had her share of K'c'y- Her surgeons dead and alive have ever been in the front. Her illustrious surgical 
teachers, Nathan Smith and Jonathan Knight, have hecn to the medical republic what Trumbull, Sherman and 
Ellsworth as statesmen were to the nation. The roll-call of the great men in medicine, as in all the walks and 
professions of life throughout the country, would find many whose lineage runs back to Connecticut. We have 
now taken a glance at some of the general causes of surgical progress for a century, and having viewed them in 
their relations to the earlier ages, and having seen that the truths and the facts of earlier history have found their 
fuller growth and completion in later history, we can but feel, as we contemplate the surgical triumphs already 
made, and the possibilities inherent in the future, that we are in some way joined to the grander progress of the 
future, and that all the discoveries, and all the steps of progress to be made, will be so many links to bind more 
compactlv together the centuries past and the centuries to come. 

For thirty years Dr. Storr.s lias been a director and medical adviser in the Connecticut 
General Life Insnrance Company. He is a director in the Hartford Hospital, and is one of 
the visiting; surgeons. He is a member of the Hartford City Medical Society, of the Con- 
necticut State iMedical Society, of the American Medical Association, of the American Asso- 
ciation of Gynacologfists and Obstetricians, and at the International Congress in 1887, was 
one of the vice-presidents of the Surgical Section. At the Berlin Medical Congress in 1891, 
of which he was a member, Dr. Storrs read a paper on "The Neurectomy of the Superior 
IMaxillarv Ner\e," which was most favorably received. Writing from Berlin at the time, a 
correspondent of the Hartford Courant said: "From a physician I heard that Dr. Storrs of 
Hartford read a fine paper here before the recent medical congress. As there were about 
five thousand physicians from different parts of the world, it was a marked honor, and 
especially so, as the Germans, who were noticeably tired from preceding papers, showed their 
interest in this, by marked attention throughout the delivery." 

Perhaps the most valuable work Dr. Storrs ever did for the .state at large was in connection 
with the "Medical Practice Bill." He was chairman of the committee from the State Medical 
Society, which was instrumental in securing the needed legislation, and throughout the entire 
time he held the laboring oar. This bill makes registration of physicians necessary, enforces 
examination before persons are allowed to practice, and in every wa)' raises the standard of 
the profession. His zeal in this in.stance deserv^es the highest appreciation and commendation. 

Dr. Melancthon Storrs was married Nov. 29, 1853, to Jane D., daughter of Rev. Charles 
S. Adams of Westford, Conn. Four children have been born to them. Charles Adams, who 
died in his fourth year, William Melancthon, now in the hardware business in Hartford, 
Frank Herbert, in the wholesale grocery business, and Jennie Gertrude, now the wife of Rev. 
Frederick J. Perkins, a missionary in l?ra7.il under the Presbyterian Board of Missions. 



=^^n.LINGS, CH.\RLES ETHAN, president of the Billings & Spencer Company, 



■_^J^-f\ Hartford, was born in Weathersfield, Vt., Dec. 5, 1835. This vear saw the 

JTTT^N bi 



rth of a number of men who lia\e made a name for themselves in different 
spheres of action. Mr. Billings is descended from a sturdy Green Mountain 
stock. Rufus Billings was a respected fanner of Windsor, Vt., and his son, 
Ethan F., married Clarissa M., daughter of James Marsh of Rockingham, Vt. The latter was 
a blacksmith, with a practical turn of mind, so that the present manufacturer comes honestly 
by his inventi\e faculty. 

The education of young Billings was limited to that which could be obtained in the 
connnon schools of the town of Windsor, in the Green Mountain state. At the age of 
seventeen years he entered as an apprentice in the machine works of the Robbins & Lawrence 
Company of Windsor, and served the regular term of three years, .\fttr Ijeconiing a idnnu \- 



228 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

man machinist, he was employed for some time by the same company in their gnn department. 
The year 1857 found him at Hartford, and, with the exception of a few years spent in Utica, 
New York, he has since made that city his home. 

The idea of drop forgings was probably introduced into the United States by that many 
sided man, Sanuiel Colt. To a slight extent they were afterwards used at the armories at 
Springfield, I\Iass., but the processes of manufacture were crude, the work imperfect in it.s 
nature, and the practical results within exceedingly narrow limits. It was left for Charles E. 
Billings to raise an unimportant adjunct of the machine shop from a lowly position to its 
present dignity and consequence in the world of mechanics. In 1856, Mr. Billings went into 
the employ of the Colt's Arms Company as tool maker and die sinker, and it was here that he 
first gained an insight into that line of business with which his future life was to be identified. 
He was confident that certain parts of the work could be accomplished in a far easier way than 
by the old methods, and he bent his mind to the solution of the problem. The second year 
of the war he was called to the gun factories of E. Remington & Sons at Ilion, N. Y. Here, 
in the face of mild opposition and much open doubt, he built up a plant for drop forgings 
which increased by forty-fold the efficiency of labor in the production of various parts of their 
pistols. The effect was quite a revelation to the company and clearly showed the possibilities 
there were in the new idea. Returning to Hartford in 1865, for three years he acted as 
superintendent of the. manufacturing department of the Weed Sewing Machine Company. 

After a few months spent at Amherst, ]\Iass., he settled permanently in Hartford in 
1869. With Air. C. M. Spencer, he at once organized the firm of Billings & Spencer, and 
at the ver}' outset of their career they experienced severe reverses b)' engaging in the manu- 
facture of the Roper sporting arms. In 1870, they took up drop forgings as a specialty, 
but by gradual degrees it became their whole business. As the development of this business 
has really been ■Mr. Billings's lifework, a descriptive paragraph to the uninitiated will not 
be inappropriate. He saw the immense saving of labor to be effected, as well as the im- 
provement which could be made in numerous small parts of machines. Starting from the 
crude efforts of the two or three who have preceded him, by successive stages he has brought 
the art (for art it certainly is) up to its present high standard. Bars of iron, .steel, bronze 
or copper could be transformed into pieces of irregular shape and size with rapidity and 
precision. The dies are made from blocks of the best bar steel, and in these are cut the 
form of the article to be forged, one-half of the thickness in the lower and the other half in 
the upper die, and both parts are then hardened to the proper temper. One die is fastened 
to the base and its counterpart to the hammer of the drop. Where the shape to be produced 
is unusually complicated, a series of dies is used and red hot bars are subjected to the blows 
of the hammer until the desired figure is reached. Guided by the uprights of powerful frames, 
hammers weighing from three hundred to two thousand pounds fall from one to six feet and a 
few rapid blows complete this part of the process. The forgings are then passed on to other 
rooms to be finished and polished. ^ 

The all-pei-\'asi\-e force in the development of the extensive plant on Broad street has 
been the inventive talent of Mr. Billings. Let a single instance suffice. When passing 
through the Edison Electric Works in 1886, he noted the existing method of making com- 
mutator bars. These are L shaped pieces of copper set at an angle to each other. Horizontal 
belts, thin and wedge-like, separated by some non-conducting substance, are placed side by 
side aroTuid the shaft of the djnanio and bound firmly together. Electricity is generated by 
the friction of metallic brtishes revolving at high speed against the edges of the bars. Here 
was Mr. Billings's opportunity and he wisely improved it. The bars had previously been 
made in two pieces, united by pins and solder, and, as the current was partly broken, the best 
results could not be obtained. The electrician of the works was sure they could not be 



OF CONNECTICUT, i86i-iS<)4. 229 

produced in any other way, but tlie inventor's mind had e\eu then solved the difficulty. 
Returuinj;^ home, iMr. Billinjjs cut the dies and in less than three weeks sent to the Edison 
Company an invoice of bars forged in a single piece from pure copper, and having a homo- 
geneous, molecular structure throughout. The material is of the greatest possible density. 
By this in\entiou of Mr. I'illings the cost of the bars was greatly diminished and their 
eflficiencv increased in like degree. The best proof of their success lies in the fact that they 
almost immediately sprang into favor with the electric companies. 

The firm was organized on a stock company basis, in 1869, under a liberal charter, the 
capital being $125,000, with the privilege of increasing to ,$300,000. The present officers 
are Charles K. Billings, president and general manager; E. H. vStockler, secretary ; Lucius H. 
Holt, treasurer ; F. C. Billings, superintendent ; and H. E. Billings, assistant superintendent. 
It is the leading concern of its kind in the United States. 

Besides developing the drop forging Inisiness, which owes so much to his genius and 
persistence, Mr. Billings is the inventor and patentee of numerous useful articles manufactured 
b\- his company, which are largely sold in this country and Europe. Among them m<iy be 
noted screw plate, double-acting ratchet drill, adjustable beam caliper, breech-loading firearms, 
pocket knife, drill, chuck, adjustable pocket wrench, etc. 

In the mysteries and teachings of the Masonic Order, ^Ir. Billings has been greatly inter- 
ested, and by initiation has become familiar with all of the York and Scottish degrees, and is 
an honorary member of the vSupreme Council Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the 
Northern Masonic jurisdiction of the United States, 1874 ; also, a member of the Royal Order 
of Scotland, 1891. He was grand commander of the Grand Commandery of Knight Templars 
of Connecticut in 18S7. His local membership is with Washington Commandery. F'or several 
years he served as a private in the ranks of the First Regiment Connecticut National Guard. 
It was but natural that official station should be presented to ^Ir. Billings for acceptance, 
though he has allowed his name to be used in this connection to a very limited extent. He 
has been a member of the Court of Common Council, and for four years he represented the 
third ward in the Board of Aldermen. During the last two years of his service he was chair- 
man of the ordinance committee, and in that capacity he exerted an important influence in 
moulding affairs for the best interests of the city. At present he is president of the board of 
fire commissioners. Though not an active p;)litician in any sense of the word, Mr. Billings's 
sympathies have always been with the Republican party, and his thought and voice have ever 
been cast in furtherance of its principles. In religions matters he affiliates with the Second 
Ecclesiastical Society, and is a liberal contributor to its support. Concerned in all that affects 
the enlargement of the scope of business of his adopted city, he is a trustee of the State 
Savings Bank and the Hartford Trust Company, and is a member of that energetic organiza- 
tion, the Hartford Board of Trade, and also of the Hartford Club. 

During the summer of 1890, Mr. Billings visited F^nrope and came back with clearer ideas 
of the possibilities there are in his own country. A gentleman of the most enjoyable personal 
character, he is regarded as one of the foremost business men of the capital city. His success 
as a manager of industrial interests is phenomenal, and as a pioneer along a new line of manu- 
facturing development, he deserves the highest praise. In private life, as a public official, 
and as the head of one of Hartford's leading establishments, Mr. Billings is honored and 
esteemed by his fellow-citizens. 

Charles E. Billings has been twice married. First, to Francis M., daughter of Willard 
Hey wood. She died, leaving him two children. F"or his second wife he married Eva C, 
daughter of Lucius H. Holt of Hartford. Two children were the result of this union. His 
sons, !•'. C. and H. E. Billings are associated with him in business, the former as superin- 
tendent and the latter as assistant superintendent of the Billings & Spencer Company. 

3" 



230 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 



^>;^^^g?HAFFEE, CHARLES ELMER, of Windsor Locks, president and treasnrer of 
I /f^'/^^^^^ the Medlicott Company, was born in Monson, Mass., June 30, 1818. This year 
I k/,' i'. >-,'' ■ ; is noted for the long list of men prominent in state and national politics, as 
%kN<i^^^j^ well as in the world of business, who first saw the light within its limits. 

The Chaffee family is of Welsh origin, and many of the Connecticut branch, 
have been tillers of the soil. Chad wick Chaffee was a farmer of Monson, JMass., and his 
son, Freeborn ^L, fought in the defence of his country in the war of 1812. Mr. C. E. Chaffee 
was the son of Freeborn i\L and Betsey (Leonard) Chaffee, the latter being a resident of 
Stafford, Conn. 

The ordinary district schools afforded him all the education he received. At the age of 
seventeen he went into the Holmes & Reynolds ]\Iill, for the purpose of learning the trade 
of wool sorting. Sixty years ago the sorting of wool in this section was more important 
and extensive than at the present time, and the future manufacturer served a long appren- 
ticeship. The training gained in' this humble position was more valuable to Mr. Chaffee 
in after life than had the same time been spent in Yale College. It was here that the 
germ of that thorough knowledge of wool was planted, which has grown during years of 
patient study and labor, and which now gives him the reputation of l:)eing one of the best 
judges of wool in the country. 

In 1838, he removed to Rock\-ille, and for half a dozen years worked in the Rock and 
New England mills. Failing health caused his return to IMonson, where he purchased a farm, 
and lived an out-door farmer's life for two years. Having regained his health, he made an 
engagement with the Enfield Stockinet mill at Thompsonville, of which W. G. Medlicott 
was agent. Here, besides the buying of wool, he continued his old trade of wool sorting. 
In 1863, Mr. ]\Iedlicott bought a little shodd\' mill in Windsor Locks, on the site of the present 
mill, and the erection of the principal part of the main building was begun. Mr. Chaffee 
went with ]\Ir. Medlicott in the new venture, and later was selected for the responsible 
task of going to Nottingham, England, to purchase the full fashioned machinery for the 
new mill. Financial troubles came upon Mr. Medlicott in 1867, and, a company being 
formed to assume the business, Mr. Chaffee made an investment in the stock. The same 
year he gave i;J) active work for the compau)-, and purchased a tinware business, which he 
enlarged and developed materially, his energy and good management bringing prosperity 
in their train. 

The Medlicott Company failed in the Centennial year, and the failure gave Mr. Chaffee 
an opportunity which he has most wisely improved. Being a director, he was appointed 
assignee, and in that capacity carried on the mill for half a year. At this time a new com- 
pany was formed with a capital of $125,000, and ilr. Watson Beach of Hartford was chosen 
president. A year passed and Mr. Chaffee decided upon a new course of action. He deter- 
mined to secure control of the stock and take the management in his own hands, and accord- 
ingly bought out a Boston stockholder who owned a two-fifths interest. Then came a marked 
change in the running of the mill. Minor details of the manufacturing received as careful 
attention as those which show more on the surface. Mr. Chaffee was indefatigable and 
unceasing in his labors, beginning with the starting of the mill and never stopping till the 
last spindle had ceased to hum. Nor did his work always end then, coiTcspondence and 
other duties often carrying labors far into the night. His early experience in wool sort- 
ing stood him in good stead here, and the principle of using onl\- the best wool has 
always been closely adhered to. Since Mr. Chaffee's management began he has largely 
improved the mill and increased its capacity, two four-storied ells, together with a box and 




S£^s 




r^ 



I 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. ' 231 

machine shop, having been added. Two hundred hands are employed, and the pa3--roll 
amounts to $100,000 annually. The goods produced stand in the very front rank in their 
class, and the sale extends from Maine to California. The wages paid are the largest of 
any mill in this country, the employees are prosperous, many owning homes of their own, 
and their intelligent, industrious appearance is noticed by all visitors. 

Windsor Locks owes Mr. Chaffee a heavy debt of gratitude. Taking a bankrupt 
concern, he placed the business on a firm foundation, thereb}- affording employment to a 
goodly number of its citizens. The story of his life shows how that by years of hard 
work and honesty of purpose, seeming ad\crsit\- may be turned to a real success. While 
he has been striving to accunnilate a fortune for himself, he has never been forgetful of 
the necessities of those around him. His good deeds, though numerous, are largely unknown 
to the townspeople at large, but many of the town's unfortunates have a tender spot in 
their hearts for both him and his family. 

Mr. Chaffee's energy and l)usiuess activity have not been wholly confined to the com- 
pany of which he is the head. In financial institutions, he is vice-president of the Wind- 
sor Locks Bank, and a director in the Mercantile Bank of Hartford. He is president of 
the' Windsor Locks and W'arehouse Point Bridge & Ferrj- Company, and is a director in 
that enterprising manufacturing concern, the J. R. ]\Iontgomer}- Company. For four terms, 
he held the office of first selectman of Wind.sor Locks, and for five years was a member of 
the board of a.ssessors. A member of the Congregational church since his early manhood, 
^Ir. Chaffee has been honored by places of great trust and responsibility, having been a 
member of the church connuittee for eighteen years, and of the society's committee for a 
period six years longer. When a joung man in Monson, he was associated with the old 
state militia ser\ice. 

Besides its indebtedness for rebuilding a defunct industry-, Windsor Locks has another 
deep cause to cherish the memory of Mr. Chaffee. To quote from the opening address of 
IMr. J. R. Montgomer)^ : "Fortunately, however, the town had one citizen whose patriotic 
soul had always burned with love for country, and love for its sturdy defenders, and was 
blessed with a generous heart and a purse to match." The combination in the last line 
does not always exist in the same person. The occasion of the remark was the gift of an 
elegant Memorial Hall made by Mr. Chaffee to the local Post of the Grand Army. It is 
one of the finest memorial structures devoted exclusively to Grand Army purposes to be 
found in the United States. The building is entirely of Monson granite, two stories high, 
•with basement and attic, the external beauty being fully equalled by convenience of arrange- 
ment within, the total cost being appro.ximately $28,000. Wednesday, June 10, 1891, the 
date of dedication, was made a gala day by the citizens of- the town, and business was 
practically suspended. The town was filled with visiting Posts and soldier^-, together with 
a brilliant array of civil and military dignitaries, and the procession formed was worthy of 
the occasion. On the front of the building is a polished marble slab, bearing the following 
inscription : 

iSgo. 

SOLDIERS' MEMORI.\L HAI.I,. 

built by 

CHARLES E. CH.VFFEE, 

ami presented by him to 
J. H. CON-\'ERSE POST, 
No. 67, G. .\. R. 
In memory of those who went from Windsor 
Locks and lost their lives in the ser- 
vice of Our Country in the 
late Civil War. 



232 



REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 



Many pleasant and complinientan^ allusions were made to ^Ir. Chaffee during the orations 
of the day, but perhaps the justest mention of all was by his old friend, Mr. J. L. Houston, 
who made the presentation address. In the course of his remarks, he said : 

His is one of those transparent characters, always shining with a clear, steady light, known and read and 
respected by all who live within the circle of its influence. Let me make a brief allusion to the public spirit 
of the man; to his genuine altruistic feeling ; to his generous conceptions of dutj- towards circles lying out- 
side his own domestic hearth, and the group of his own immediate personal friends and associates; to 
his attitude toward all movements and causes which " make for righteousness " and for the interests of the 
community as a whole. During all his busy life he has yet found time to think of these things, and has 
acted fully up to the high standard of his consciousness. Shakespeare has described a man as a type of 
a class of good men, one " Who loves all, trusts a few, and does harm to none." My friend is all this, 
but I think he is something more. He has always been a personal force operating for the good of the 
community in which he was cast. We all know that he has been a model husband and father and head 
of a household, a faithful member and officer of his church, but he never let his conception of duty stop 
there, as so many of us do. His hand has always been held out generously in promoting the general good 
and in appreciation of everything pure and noble. .\nd so it has been, as we see to-daj-, in the manner 
of his showing his patriotic love of country, and his admiration and appreciation of those who, during the 
giant struggle of our civil war, sprang to the front and formed themselves into a living wall in defence of 
an imperilled Republic. During those days of fiery trial he felt an obligation stamped upon his very 
soul, and he has never ceased to remember that obligation. 

In erecting a memorial building to the soldiers, Mr. Chaffee left a tangible remembrance 
of his own generosity. Truly did Hon. James T. Coogan sav : " In years to come when 
the son or grandson of some old soldier shall bring his children to this shrine to show them 
where their grandsire's memory is honored, and when he tells them of the great war of the 
Rebellion and the noble deeds of their ancestors, I know he will not forget to tell them of 
the soldiers' friend, Charles E. Chaffee." 

In a length}' description of the events of the day, the Hartford Post said: "The life 
of ]\Ir. Chaffee has lieen one of sttperb consecration to duty, and no greater treasure could 
be left with the community in which he has lived so long, than the e.vample which he has 
impressed upon all classes of men. It is a legacy of priceless value. As a Christian in the 
community, and the manager of great indtistrial and financial interests, his career has been 
in ever\- wa\' an honor to American manhood." 

Charles E. Chaffee was married May 15, 1839, to Abilena, daughter of Cyrus and Cliloe 
(Richmond) Dinibar. Three children have been born to them, but they all died in infancy, 
or early youth. One adopted daughter, Etta C. Chaffee, in a large measure fills the vacant 
place in their heails. 



-.;^;REENE, JACOB LYMAN, president of the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance 
Company, Hartford, was born at Waterford, I\Ie., Aug. 9, 1837. He comes of an 
excellent family, well known in the Pine Tree State, being the son of Jacob H. 
and Sarah Walker (Frye) Greene. Speaking of his parents, it has been said 
that his father was a man of staunch character, distinguished for physical vigor, 
positive convictions and strong religious views. His mother was a lady of the most affable 
character, winning and graceful in manner, thoroughly enlightened and earnestly devoted to 
the welfare and advancement of her children. One of his great-grandfathers was Thomas 
Greene of Rowley, Ma.ss., who was a non-connnissioued officer of the minute-men at Lexington, 
and served throughout the Revolutionary War, being promoted to the rank of first lieutenant 
for distinguished bravery and efficiency. At the close of the war he moved to Waterford, Me. 
Another great-grandfather was Major-Gen. Joseph Frs-e of Andover, ]\Iass., who held impor- 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1^61-181)4. 233 

taut commissions and rendered valnal)le services at the siej^e of Louisl)nr<; in the French and 
Indian wars, (hirint^ which he had some thrilling experiences. He received a grant of land 
in which a portion of the present town of Kryeburg was inclnded and removed thither with 

his family. 

Yonng Greene manifested a strong disposition for stnd\- at an early age, and sought every 
opportnnitv within his reach for intellectual improvement. His first steps along the hill of 
knowledge were taken at Fryeljurg and Bethel academies. At that time the Micliigan I'ni- 
versily opened its doors to students without co.st, so far as tuition was concerned. Turning 
his steps thitherward he drank still deeper of the Pierian spring, .\fter completing his studies, 
he chose the legal profession in which to exert the future acti\ilies of life, and began the 
practice of law in the town of Lapeer, Mich. 

The paint had hardly become dry on the "traditional shingle," when the first gun was 
fired at Fort Sumter, and the call made for troops to suppress the Rebellion. F^nlisting as a 
private in the Seventh Michigan Infantry, he was soon afterwards advanced to the rank of a 
commissioned officer. His regiment was ordered to the School of Instruction at Fort Wayne, 
and when its full complement was reached in August, 1861, it was .sent to the front. Lieu- 
tenant Greene served in all the campaigns of his command until the spring of 1862, having 
been promoted to the first lieutenantcy of his company in the meantime. A long and 
exhaustive sickness intervened, which incapacitated him for active service for aa entire year. 
Recovering his health in the summer of 1863, he returned to the front and accepted an 
appointment as assistant adjutant-general on the staff of General Custer. This position he 
retained until the battle of Trevelyau Station, where he was captured in June, 1864. Colonel 
Greene became familiar with the interior of Lib1)y, Macon and Charleston prisons, and his 
experiences in them were exactly the opposite of pleasant. While at Charleston, he was 
selected as one of the officers to be placed under Union fire. Being remo\ed to Columbia, he 
was parolled, transferred to the F'ederal lines and placed on duty at Annapolis. It was not until 
April 8, 1865, that he secured exchange, and immediately afterwards he returned to Virginia, 
joining General Custer at Burksville Junction, April 10. After participating in the grand 
review at Washington of the Army of the Potomac, Cieneral Custer was ordered to New Orleans. 
Colonel Greene accompanied him to the new field of action, and went with him up the Red river 
to Alexandria, where a division of cavalry was organized. Having been made commander of 
the central division of Texas and of the cavalry iu the department, Custer advanced into the 
state, making his headquarters at Austin. Colonel (keene, who had been promoted to the 
full rank of major and l^revetted lieutenant-colonel for distinguished gallantr)-, was made 
chief of staff of both commands. His connection with Cieneral Custer had been of such an 
intimate nature, when the latter was mustered out as major-general of volunteers. Colonel 
Greene applied for his discharge and received it in April, 1866, one year after the surrender of 
Lee at Appomattox. While he was exceedingly unfortunate in regard to his ill-health and 
the time spent in Southern prisons, still Colonel Greene rendered valuable service ; and General 
Custer ever gave his abilities the highest appreciation. His military title is fully deserved 
by five years' participation in the War of the Rebellion. 

Returning to civil life, he spent the next four years at Pittsfield, Mass. Becoming inter- 
ested iji a new sphere of action, he began his insurance career as agent of the Berkshire Life 
Insurance Company, but his executive ability .soon made itself manifest, and he was invited to 
take a position in the office of the company. His reputation extended beyond the town and 
state in which he lived. In June, 1870, he was called to Hartford as assistant secretary of 
the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, and in .Vpril of the following year he was 



234 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 

elevated to the post of secretary. On the death of President Goodwin, who had filled the 
place for so many years, he was elected to the presidency, and is now filling that responsible 
position. 

As President Greene's connection with the company covers more than a score of years, 
and dnring that time it has made vast advances in all directions, it is fitting that a paragraph 
be devoted to the histor\- of the company. The Connecticut ^Vlntiial Life Insnrance Company 
is one of the original five whose storj' goes back to the beginning of the bnsiness in this 
conntr}-. Chartered in May, 1S46, it was organized and issned its first policies in December 
of the same year, with Eliphalet A. Bnlkele\- as president and Gny R. Phelps as secretar}-. 
James Goodwin, a man of rare financial abilities, sncceeded Mr. Bnlkeley as president in 1848, 
and, with an interruption of three years from 1866 to 1869, dnring the incumbency of Dr. 
Phelps, held the position until his death in 1S78. Since 187S, Mr. Greene has been the 
ofiicial head of the company. 

To President Greene's mind, the stability of his company has e\er been his chief care. 

Long before others had begun to realize the possibilities of a change in the interest rates of 

the country, he commenced to bring the finances tinder his charge into shape to meet the 

coming reduction. The idea was laughed at in some quarters, sneered at by others, and only 

the most far-sighted could see any possible danger. Subsequent events, however, proved his 

action most wise.' From an excellent publication, issued by the Hartford Board of Trade in 

1889, the following truthful sentiments are taken: 

The Counecticut Mutual is peculiarl}- strong, not onl}- in solid assets, but in a conservatism of policy, the 
wisdom of which will become more and more apparent with the lapse of time. Its premiums and reserves 
upon risks taken since April, 1882, are computed on the assumption that before the liabilities mature, safe 
investments cannot with certainty be depended upon to j'ield a yearly net income of over three per cent, instead 
of four percent., the basis heretofore required in prudent legislation and estimates. When taken, the step, quite 
at variance with the prevalent tendency, provoked, in certain quarters, acrid criticism, but its justification is com- 
ing more quickh-, perhaps, than its advocates foresaw. Within a decade, able economists have written elaborate 
papers to prove that for a generation, at least, the annual rate of interest in the United States, ^cept for short and 
transient intervals, could not fall below six per cent. The arguments were based upon the extent of our unde- 
veloped and partiall)' developed territory, the tireless energy of our people, and the enormous sum certain to be 
required both for the enlargement of old and the initiation of new enterprises. In reality, capital increases much 
more rapidly than the demand far it in safe investments. For many months at a time, call loans on the best 
security have ranged from one per cent, to a fraction above, the best state bonds yield barely three per cent., and 
government bonds still less. Xothing but a long and destructive war can arrest even temporarily the downward 
movement. In view of the further fact that life insurance contracts, in many instances, will run forty, fifty or 
sixty years, and that every one kept in force must ultimately be paid in full on penalty of bankruptcy, it is easy 
to see that all similar institutions, to meet remote obligations, must follow in practice, if not avowedly, the 
example first set by the Connecticut Mutual. 

Not all of President Greene's executive ability and business energy have been confined 
to the insurance company of which he is the head. He has been called to act in an official 
capacitv in connection with financial institutions. At the present time he holds a directorship 
in the Connecticut Trust and Safe Deposit Company, in the Society for Savings, in the Hartford 
Fire Insurance Company, and the Phoenix National Bank. In all these different boards he 
is valued as a safe counsellor, and his long experience gives his advice a special significance. 

In church affairs, President Greene affiliates with the Protestant Episcopal body, and he 
is senior warden of Trinity church. He is also a leading member of the Church Temperance 
Society, and treasurer and a trustee of the Bishop's Fund. As a citizen of Connecticut, 
President Greene takes a zealous interest in all that affects the welfare of the commonwealth. 
His abilities and habits of industry lead him into various useful activities. He is a frequent 
and popular speaker at meetings of religious and scholastic bodies, and has been selected as 
orator of the day on several important occasions. His social connections include membership 
in the Connecticut Society of the vSons of the Revolution, trusteeships in the Wadswortli 
Atheiueum, Watkinson Library, Church Home, and other local organizations. 




_Jy'^ /S ^-^Q^^^^^ 



^ 



OF CONNHCTICUT, iS6i-rSc)4. 



235 



A man of superior endowments, President Greene stands before the community, not only 
an able l)nsincss manatjer, l)ut a thorouo;hly useful and greatly valued citizen. OfBcial life 
has had no charm for him. The prestifjc of station has l)een broui^ht to his notice, but he has 
everchosen to reuiain in the circle of Ijusiness activity. It has been tersely said of President 
Greene: " Ke is at the head of one of the larjje.st insurance or<janizations in the United States, 
to which honorable position he briui^s the qualificatious of undoubted abilit\-, the most absolute 
fidelity, a clear conception of dut\-, and a loyalty of principle which under no circumstances 
either surrenders or compromises." 




;|IGELO\V, HOBART BAIvDWIN, of New Haven, ex-oovcrnor of Connecticut 
and president of the Bigelow Company, was born in the adjoining town. North 
Haven, May 16, 1S34. His death occurred Oct. 12, 1891, passing on to his 
leward in the very prime of his later manhood. 

From both sides of the family line. Governor Bigelow came of excellent 
ancestr\', and the combination of the two strains of blood made a rare specimen of New 
England's best type of man. Of the ancestry of John Biglo of Watertown, ^lass., the 
progenitor of the American Bigelows, practically nothing is known. Presumably he was of 
English descent, but neither history nor tradition establish this as a fact. The first 
mention of his name is found in the Watertown records, where his marriage appears under 
date of Aug. 30, 1642, being the first recorded in that town. By trade he was a black- 
smith, and was an energetic, public spirited man, having .served as an officer of the town 
in various capacities, and he is also spoken of as a soldier. Prom him the familv line 
comes down through (2) vSamuel, and (3) Samuel, Jr., to (4) Cornelius, and in this 
generation the present spelling of the name appears for the first time. Cornelius Bigelow 
sened as a non-commissioned officer in the French and Indian wars. His son (5) Paul 
was at Cambridge, April 19, 1775, as drummer of the Westborough company of minute 
men, and tradition says he ser\'ed throughout the Revolutionary War, being present at the 
taking of Quebec by General Wolfe. Elisha (6), son of Paul Bigelow, was associated with 
his brothers in the manufacture of cut nails, and being a verj- ingenious man he did much 
to invent and perfect machinery for that purpose. 

In the seventh generation, Levi Lewis, son of Elisha Bigelow, was born Dec. 13, 1802. 
He married Belinda Pierpont, a lineal descendant of Rev. James Pierpont, the .second 
minister in New Haven, and one of the founders of Yale College. I'ntil new methods of 
manufacturing cloth and the concentration of capital made it unprofitable, he followed the 
business of a clothier. vSubseqnently he engaged in the manufacture of chain pumps with 
bright prospects of pecuniar}- success, but the enterprise was wrecked by the perfidy of a 
tnisted agent. During all the years he was engaged in manufacturing he never surrendered 
his title of farmer, and was in every way an honor to the tillers of the soil. A man of 
strict integrity, Mr. Bigelow faithfully and fearlessly performed the duties required of him, 
being often honored by his townspeople in the distribution of offices. 

The education that was common to the .sons of farmers at the time was all that Mr. 
Bigelow received. During his boyhood, business reverses overtook his father, who was then 
a manufacturer of chain pumps in Berkshire County, Mass. Thrown on his own resources 
at the age of seventeen, his native endowments were at once called into positive exercise. 
Like many eminently successful men, his youthful imagination had often dwelt upon the 



236 REPRESENTATI\-E MEN 

city, as the theatre best fitted for the display of his powers, and the field most likely to 
yield the largest harvest in repayment of toil. To the city he went and found employment 
with the New Haven Manufacturing Company, then under the management of his uncle, 
Asahel Pierpont, and here he ser\'ed a regular apprenticeship as a machinist. Entering the 
foundry and machine shop of Ives & Smith, bv successive stages he ascended from a lowly 
position first to the management and finally to the proprietorship of the factory. 

With his immense force of character, enlarged by practical experience and acquaintance 
with the world, Mr. Bigelow found himself at the beginning of the road leading to assured 
competence and corresponding social distinction. He wisely seized and used his opportunity. 
Others sought business relations with him, among them being Wx. Henry Bushnell, inventor 
of the compressed air motor. Together the)- contracted with the national government in 
1861 for the supply of "gun parts" for 300,000 Springfield rifles. Nearly three years were 
required to fill the contract, during which time ]\Ir. Bigelow gave employment to about 
two hundred men. When the war closed the demand for his manufactured products 
increased, necessitating a similar increase in the facilities, and the works were removed to 
Grape Vine Point, where they are now situated. Two years prior to removal Mr. Bigelow 
had added the manufacture of boilers to his pre\'ious business, and this department has 
since become famous throughout the country. The superior quality and workmanship of 
the boilers and the remarkable excellence of the engines are as well known in St. John, 
N. B., and in California as in New Haven and vicinity. In the new location all the 
departments expanded greatly, and, under his fostering care, the total output increased to 
magnificent proportions. In 1883, the business was incorporated as the Bigelow Company, 
under a special charter granted by the legislatui'e of that year. 

Remarkably successful as a manufacturer, Mr. Bigelow was no less efificient in fiscal 
matters. He was especially identified with the Merchants' National Bank of New Haven, 
and to its management he ga\-e no small share of his time. Upon the death of ]Mr. Nathan 
Peck in 1882, he was elected president of the bank, and retained that position until the fall 
of 1889, wdien he resigned, though he held a directorship up to the date of his own death 
in 1 89 1. Among the other corporations with which he was interested are Holcomb Brothers 
& Company of New Haven, extensive carriage manufacturers, with whom he was connected 
for about twenty years. To the capital which he brought to their aid in the infancy of 
the concern, and the skillful and judicious counsel in the management of their affairs, is 
largely due the high position which they now occupy as manufacturers. He was in reality 
the founder of the National Pipe Bending Company of New Haven, and was its president 
from its inception to the time of his death. 

Mr. Bigelow's continued success as a manufacturer had not passed unnoticed by his 
fellow-citizens, and he w-as called upon to fill a variety of public stations. The municipal 
honors he received, however, were simply commensurate with the value and worth of such 
a man to the community. He was elected to the Common Council in 1863, and the follow- 
ing year was made a member of the Board of Aldermen. A year of public service in each 
body was all that could be spared by the exactions of business. From 1871 to 1874 he was 
a member of the Board of Supervisors, and from 1874 to 1876 he filled most acceptably the 
ofhce of fire commissioner. Sent by the Republicans of New Haven to the legislature of 
1875, he acquired further popularity by his talents and address, and gained additional 
reputation by action on important committees, especially in that on banks. His long 
experience had rendered him specially adapted to fill the ofiice of mayor. Though belong- 
ing to the party nominally in the minority in New Haven, in 1S79 he was elected for a 
two years' term by the very handsome majority of 2,587 o\er the opposing candidate. This 



OF CONNECTICUr, 1861-1894. 237 

election was a gratifying tribute to liis intellectual, moral and social value, effected as it 
was, not entirely by the political party with which lie afhliated, but by citizens of all 
shades of political opinion. ^Ir. liigelow's administration of this office was marked by two 
events of peculiar and permanent interest to the citizens of New Haven. It was during his 
official term, and very largely due to his support and encouragement, that the East Rock 
Park Conunission was created and the park opened, making an important addition to the 
beauty and comfort of the city. The other was the admirably planned and successful effort 
of the citv government under his direction for the bxiilding of the breakwaters which have 
been projected and are being carried on by the I'nited States government for the impro\e- 
ment of the city's harbor. 

He was sent as one of the delegates to the National Republican Convention at Chicago 
in the summer of 1880, and contributed largely to the success of his political compatriots at 
the polls in the election which followed. The same year Mr. Bigelow received an exceed- 
ingly comp]imentar\- nomination in the Republican state convention, and was triumphantly 
chosen to the chief magistracy of the state. This e.xalted position he filled with quiet 
dignity, thorough impartiality and great good sense. The wise and liberal character of his 
past action was a sufficient guarantee for the sound discretion and enlightened policy of his 
administration. 

After Governor Bigelow's retirement from official life, his attention was devoted to the 
development of his growing manufacturing industries, though his lesser interests in other 
business enterprises drew heavily upon his strength. His career has been preeminently that 
of the man of business, familiar with and skillful in modern methods of conducting large 
enterprises. All the success he has attained has been based upon thoroughness and energy 
in action, a careful attention to details, combined with the severest integrity and avoidance 
of speculation. The same characteristics have always marked his administration of public 
affairs. It was the possession of such qualities which won for him the hearty esteem of his 
fellow citizens, and which was deepened by his open-handed and broad-minded practical 
benevolence. The full extent of benefactions has been realized by only a few, but a host 
of persons in New Haven and elsewhere will rise up and call him blessed at the last for 
prompt assistance rendered in time of need. 

Governor Bigelow was married May 6, 1857, to Eleanor, daughter of Philo Lewis. 
Mr. Lewis came of a family which has left its mark upon the administration of New 
Haven affairs. Of their children, two sons reached the years of maturity: Frank L., who 
succeeded to the presidency of the Bigelow Company, and also to a directorship in the 
Merchants' National Bank, and Walter P., now residing in New York, and in charge of the 
Bigelow Company's office in that city. 



238 REPRESENTATUE MEN 



AWLEY, JOSEPH RUSSELL, of Hartford, ex-go\-emor of Connecticut and 
United States senator since 1881, was born Oct. 31, 1826, in Stewartsville, 
Richmond County, North Carolina. 

His father, Rev. Francis Hawle\-, was a native of Fannington, Conn.,, 
and a descendant of one of the early settlers of the state. His mother, nee 



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Mary McLeod, was of Scotch ancestry, the McLeods from time immemorial being among the 
most warlike and powerful clans in the west of Scotland. Rev. Francis Hawley removed 
to the South on reaching his majority and entered into mercantile business; later he devoted 
himself to the work of the Christian ministry, and after fourteen years' labor in North and 
South Carolina, he returned to his native state in 1837, bringing his family with him. 

Beginning in the district school, the education of young Hawley was continued in the 
Hartford grammar school, and, on the removal of the family to Cazenovia, N. Y., in 1842, 
in the Oneida Conference Seminary at that place. Entering Hamilton College, he was 
graduated with honor in the class of 1847, having made an excellent reputation as a linguist 
and orator. Athletic amusements and exercises contributed to give him a splendid physical 
development, and thus aided to prepare him for the influential part he was to play in the 
great drama of national life. Subsequent to graduation he taught school, and at the same 
time took up the study of law. In Alay, 1849, he contracted a partnership with John Hooker, 
Esq., of Farmington, and the September following they opened an office in Hartford under 
the title of Hooker & Hawley. 

Pronounced identification with the Free Soil party marked Mr. Hawley's entrance into 
public life. Chosen chairman of the Free Soil committee at the opening of 1851, he held 
that position until those who thought and acted with him in relation to national polit\' were 
blended in the Republican party. Together with eight other gentlemen, he set the movement 
in motion which resulted in the formation of the Republican party in Connecticut. Active 
agitators necessarily use the newspaper press in pushing beneficent reforms, and Mr. Hawley, 
in harmonv with the general law, became a frequent contributor to the Republican., a weekh' 
organ of the Free Soilers. The law business of Hooker & Hawley grew rapidh" in size, 
but it was evident that politics rather than law was the sphere to which he was best fitted. 
After a year's experience with the Harlford Evening Press., he relinqiiished the practice of law 
permanently. Then he invited first Charles Dudley Warner of Chicago, and later Stephen A. 
Hubbard of West Winsted, to associate themselves with him in the proprietorship of the Press. 

After three years of hard labor, the Press was placed on a paying basis. Just at this 
point came the "irrepressible conflict," long dreaded, but seemingly unavoidable. The 
demand was made for troops to suppress the Rebellion, whose leaders had been emboldened 
to violent acts of treason by the apparent inactivity of the North. President Lincoln's call 
reached Hartford Monday, April 13, 1861. In conjunction with Mr. Drake, ]\Ir. Hawley 
promptly raised a military company, and purchased rifles for them at Sharp's factory. It 
was the first organization of the kind that was completed in the state, and was accepted, 
fully enrolled, Thursday evening, April 16. He was elected captain, and with his regiment 
proceeded at once to Virginia and took part in the battle of Bull Run, his three months' 
term of enlistment expiring on the day of the engagement. Captain Hawley was then 
appointed major by Governor Buckingham, and, assisting in raising the Seventh Connecticut 
Volunteers, was still fiirther promoted to the lieutenant colonelcy. 

The Se^•enth was known as one of the fighting regiments of the state, and under such 
a leader it could not well have been otherwise. With his regiment, Lieut. -Col. Hawley 
had a share in the Port Royal expedition, and was represented at Morris Island and Fort 



OF CONXECTICUr, iS6i-iSg4. 239 

Wagner. In Jnl>', 1S61, Colonel Terry liavinjj been made a brifjadier, he received his merited 
commission as colonel. The regiment next formed part of the Florida expedition nnder 
(General Seymour, and Colonel Hawley had command of a l>ri<^ade. At Olustee he added to 
his military laurels and was recommended for promotion "for gallant and meritorious service." 
Ordered to Virginia, the Seventh was conspicuous at the battle of Dnm-'s Bluff and the 
engagements around Bermuda Hundred, as well as in the trenches before Petersburg. His 
hardly earned connnission as brigadier reached him in October. Under General Butler, he 
assisted in keeping peace at New York during the presidential election. After a brief senice 
as chief of staff for General Terry, he was assigned by General Schofield to the connnand 
of Wilmington, North Carolina, where he found a new class of duties added to those of ordinary 
military character. Fifteen thousand refugees were dependent upon him for food, while the 
reconstruction of his native state largely occupied his thoughts. Completing his work in 
July, 1864, he was again made chief of staff to General Terry at Richmond, and the position 
was one which called all his knowledge of civil and militar\- law into earnest exercise, as 
grave complications were of constant occurrence. The merits of General Hawley were 
recognized in October by the brevet of major-general, conferred for distinguished ser\-ices 
throughout the Rebellion. With final leave of absence he returned to Hartford the same 
month, but was not discharged from the service until Jan. 15, 1866. 

It was but fitting that the illustrious soldier should receive civic honors at the hands of 
his fellow citizens. Such has often been the case in the history of the world. Nominated 
by the Republicans for the chief magistracy of the state, he was elected over his Democratic 
competitor, James E. English, and ser\-ed from May, 1866, to May, 1867, with great acceptance. 
The swing of the political pendulum was in the opposite direction at the next election, and 
INIr. English was chosen as his successor, and Governor Hawley declined further candidacy. 

Ha\ing given so large a share of his time to the ser\ice of country and state, General 
Hawley's private affairs now claimed his attention and energies. Effecting the consolidation 
of the Press and Coiimn/, and adding W. H. Goodrich to his active partners, he has published 
the Coiiraiil since 1866, though for the last dozen years the management of the paper has 
been almost wholly in the hands of his associates. Politician and statesman in the truest 
sense of the words, General Hawley has been a prolific writer and vigorous speaker in each 
of the annual state campaigns, and not unfrequently in the campaigns of neighboring states. 
In presidential canvasses he has always been a prominent and effective actor, and has served 
as delegate or alternate to the National Convention of his own party for a score of jears, his 
first experience being at the Baltimore Convention of 1864. In 1868, he was nominated in 
caucus for United States senator, but the "good war Governor" Buckingham obtained the 
honor, and with it the sincere concurrence of his patriotic competitor. Four years later he 
was again nominated for the senatorship, but was defeated by the defection of members of his 
party, who united with the Democrats and reelected Hon. O. S. Ferry. In September, 1872, 
he was elected to the vacancj- in the First Congressional District occasioned by the death of 
Hon. J. L. Strong, and was reelected in the spring of 1873. During his three years' service 
he was a member of the committees on claims, centennial commission, military affairs, and 
currency and banking. 

At the organization of the United States centennial commission in 1S72, he was cho.sen 
president, and was subsequently reelected annually. General Hawley had intelligent faith 
in the usefulness and success of a national industrial exhibition, and it was largely through 
his efforts that the loan of a million and a half dollars was effected. In the spring of 1876, 
the centennial commission unanimously requested him to go to Philadelphia and devote his 
whole time to the interests of the great exhibition. He was finally prevailed upon to accept, 



240 REPRESENTATU-E MEN 

and in cooperation with the other officials remained on the gronnd till January, 1877, two 
months after the close of the most brilliant and imposing international industrial exhibition 
held up to that time in the interests of human progress and welfare. In Connecticut itself, 
General Hawley was closely identified with all the state arrangements in relation to the 
Centennial exhibition, and he had the satisfaction of seeing his state contribute in due pro- 
portion to the enterprise and reap the profit of extensive advertisement and enlarged sale of 
its products. 

General Hawle>- was elected to the Forty-sixth Congress from the First Congressional 
District, taking his seat ilarch 4, 1879, and as usual rendering effective service for his con- 
stituents. In January, 1881, he was the unanimous choice of his party for the United vStates 
senatorship, and was elected to sixcceed Senator Eaton, whose term expired in ]\Iarch. In 
the upper house of Congress he found a fitting field for his patriotic and extended usefulness, 
and few, if any, within its halls are better qualified for wise and far-reaching action. Six 
years later, he was reelected for a second term. That his work is appreciated let the following 
paragraph from the Ar)iiy and Nai'v Journal show : 

We congratulate the army upon the action of Senator Hawlej' in introducing the excellent bill to improve the 
efficiency of the army, which appears elsewhere, and upon the report our correspondent gives of its prospects of 
becoming a law. If it cannot be passed this session the outlook ahead is not a brilliant one. We fear that the new 
Congress will be found to have in it elements of ignorant hostilitj' to the maintenance of an efficient military estab- 
lishment that will make proper action even more difficult than it has been heretofore. Every effort should therefore 
be made, by those who realize the needs of our military establishment, to secure the passage of General Hawlej-'s 
bill. .'Vccept the measure as it stands; do not dispute over it, but throw the whole weight of military experience 
and militar\' sentiment in its favor. It is a measure most important to the countrj- as well as to the arnn". 

When the legislature assembled in January, 1893, one of its first and most important 

duties was the election of a United States senator. General Hawley was again a candidate, 

and though he was not the unanimous choice of his part>' associates in the caucus, he was 

awarded every vote in the joint ballot of both houses. His election was received with nutch 

rejoicing, not only in Connecticut, but in all parts of the country. The testimou}- of the 

JVorcc'stcr (Mass.) Spy \\as that: 

Since the day when "Joe Hawley " led a small, but enthusiastic, band of " Free Soilers " out into the suburbs 
of Hartford to fire a salute over the election of Charles Sumner of Massachusetts to the T'nited States Senate, there 
has not been a truer Republican than he in New England. He was early in the field in defence of the Union, and 
has for years been one of the ablest and most honest members of the national Senate. He is a senator in whom all 
New England takes ])ride. 

The Granite state joined in the general notes of commendation, as the following from 
the New Hampshire Republican will bear witness : 

The reelection of General Hawley to the United .States Senate by the Republicans of Connecticut is an act tlfat 
causes rejoicing among the New Hampshire comrades of his marches, battles and sieges. He is a comrade whom 
they admire, whom they talk about at their campfires, and in whose loyalty to their interests they place implicit 
faith. But it is not alone his comrades who extend the hand of congratulation. Every Republican in the Granite 
state who admires courage and respects ability and honesty is pleased that General Joe Hawley is to be continued 
at the front in the great battles that are 3-et to be fought and won to the end that every man in .\merica — regardless 
of former conditions of servitude — may stand equal before the law. The Repuljlicans of Connecticut, therefore, ia 
honoring Joe Hawley, have honored themselves and the Republicans of the whole country. 

Let the Bridgeport Post voice the sentiments of Connecticut : 

The people of this state are glad that Joseph R. Hawley is to be returned to the United States Senate. General 
Hawley's long experience iu national affairs, his integrity and patriotism, eminently fit him for this high honor. 
Some maj^ feel, perhaps, that it is time some one else is given a chance, but the common people who are not iu 
politics would rather trust their interests to his tried judgment and honor. 

Scores of similar comments might be published, but only one more is added. Sa\'s the 
New York Press: 



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yn<3rr— 



OF COXNECTlLUr, iS6r-i8()4. 241 

The re-nomination of Gen. Joseph R. Hawley for the United Slates Senate in Connecticut is in tinielv and 
highly satisfactory contrast to the spectacle which has been presented in the capital of Xew York. The result is 
gratifying to Republicans throughout the country who believe in placing and in keeping the best man at the helm. 
Senator Hawley is a statesman of well proven ability, of keen and deliberate judgment, of resolute and vigorous 
action. He is a typical American, a splendid example of the success which may be achieved under American insti- 
tutions by the exercise of native energy, integrity and patriotism. 

The lack of space prevents a move extended example, but the tollowino from a speech 

made at the Repnblican State Convention of 1892, will "ive expression to his opinions and 

also be a brief sample of the terse and vigorous English that General Hawley uses: 

This is the opening hour of what bids fair to be a hotly-contested campaign, involving principles of the highest 
importance and proljably the control of the national government for many years. The Republican party comes to 
the crisis with its usual abundant pride in a noble past and its high purjrases for the future. During the last thirty 
years our parly has underlaid the very foundations of our government, iierfccted the constitution, destroved secession, 
destroyed slavery, established universal suffrage and equal civil rights, given free the public lands to the actual 
settler, drawn from foreign nations acknowledgments of the full .\nierican citizenship of our adopted fellow-citizens, 
reduced by two thousand millions the great national debt, established a national currency, applied to the Indian the 
treatment due from a Christian democracy, bestowed unprecedented relief upon the disabled soldier and his widow 
and his orphan, and put into vigorous practice the legitimate doctrines of protection, building up a national self- 
dependence with astonishing success ; in short, in every imaginable field of governmental activity erecting monu- 
ments of wise legislation. In none of these things have we had the cordial cooperation of the Democratic partv. 
In almost every one we have had its vigorous opposition. Our friends the enemy jeer us for pointing with priile at 
our record. It is*a pleasure they cannot enjoy. We offer that record as the only valuable security th.-it our future 
control would be as beneficent as our past. 

Being a member of the party in the minority, vSenator Hawley was not assigned to any 
important committees, still he fared better in this respect than most of his colleagnes of the 
same political faith. He is one of the leaders on the Repnblican side, and his speeches ha\e 
lost none of their force and pungency, but have gained in strength of expression from his 
long experience. 

TEELE, HARVEY BALDWIN, M. D., of Winsted, was born in Sonthington, 
Feb. 22, 1S27, the anniversary of the birthday of the " Father of his Conntrv." 
He died I\Iay 24, 1890. 

Among the early pioneers from England, in the early settlement of New 
England, particularh in the fonnding of the colony of Connecticut, John Steele 
of Essex Connty acted no nnimportant part. His name appears first in connection with 
Dorchester, one of the earliest settlements of the colony of Ma.ssachnsetts, in the vear 1630, 
only ten years after the arrival of the Pilgrim company in the Mayflower. He is next men- 
tioned as one of the proprietors of Cambindge, and, having been made a "freeman," was 
elected a representative from that town to the General As.sembly in 1635. In the antumn of 
1835, Mr. Steele led the pioneer band of Rev. John Hooker's colony through the nigged, 
pathless wilderness to a new location on the Connecticut River. As leader and magistrate 
he appears to have conducted the expedition wi.scly and well. Other expeditions the same 
season failed, but this succeeded, largely owing to his indomitable perseverance. " And 
here," %2,\?, \\\^ Gcneah^y of Ihe Sleek Family^ " as a faithful head of a family, as an active 
member of their church, as a magistrate, as one of the principal members of their colonv 
court, he aided in establishing a communit\-, the duration, wisdom, and happy influence of 
who.se institutions have been — with few exceptions — the glory of the stale. • • • Thus, 
unambitious except to do good, and to be faithful to ever\- trust committed to him, did he 
pa.ss some thirty of the active years of his life, in founding with others according to their 
views, a new home in the new world." F'rom him by successive generations the family line 
comes down through (2) Samuel, (3) Capt. James, (4) Dr. Joseph, (5) Ebenezer, (6) Selah, 
(7) Selah, Jr. Selah Steele, Jr., was married three times, and by his first wife, nee Phoebe 
Baldwin, was the father of the subject of this sketch. 




242 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

H. B. Steele's early education was obtained in the public schools of New Britain, and, 
when the question came to be settled reo^arding his vocation for life, he chose the medical 
profession. With Dr. Sperry of Hartford, he studied in the botanic school of medicine, and 
later took a regular course of lectures in the medical schools of New York, and was well 
read in other dej^artments of the science of healing. For over forty years he practiced in 
Winsted, and was recognized as one of the leading phvsicians and surgeons of the state. 
He made no part of the human body a specialty, but devoted himself to general practice, 
and it was in the broad work of his chosen profession that his reputation was gained. Dr. 
Steele was a member of the Connecticut Medical Association, and his advice and counsel 
were sought after bv ph}sicians throughout his section of the state, as well as in the adjoin- 
ing towns of ilassachusetts. His faculty of diagnosing diseases was remarkable in the extreme. 
It would .seem as if he did not need to ask the regulation questions of his patients — that 
he could see what ailed them. ^lany stories are related of the wonderful power which he 
possessed in this direction. He was also a skillful surgeon. A young physician once said : 
" It is as interesting to be with Dr. Steele in an operation, as to attend a clinic in New 
York, one learns so much of him." Free from professional jealousy, he was always glad to 
assist his younger brethren, and to say appreciative words to or of them, ever remembering 
his own early and unassisted efforts. An enthusiastic student, it was only a few months 
before his death that he reviewed anatomy with great thoroughness. 

The taxing cares of an increasing practice bore heavily upon him, still he found time 
to give attention to public affairs, and took no little interest in so doing. The welfare of 
Winsted was very close to his heart, and he was active in all measures which would pro- 
mote the growth and prosperity of the town. During the War of the Rebellion Dr. Steele 
was a strong Union man. .\fter the battle of Fredericksburg he was sent b\" the town 
authorities to minister to the wants of the wounded, and was indefatigable in his efforts in 
that direction. Retaining his interest in military matters, he assisted in the organization of 
Company I of the Fourth Regiment Connecticut Militia, which was named in his honor the 
"Steele Guards." 

His fellow-citizens have honored him with various official positions, for which he was 
eminently fitted by his mental qualifications and long training. During the administrations 
of Presidents Pierce and Buchanan he served as postmaster of West Winsted. Dr. Steele 
represented the town of Winchester in the legislature of the state for the sessions of 1S75, 
1879, and 1887, and was senator for the Fifteenth senatorial district for the year 1874-75. 
In both House and Senate he took a prominent position. He did good work as chairman 
of the committee on finance in 1875, and in 1879, was chairman of the committee on humane 
institutions, and engrossed bills, the latter being one of the most important and laborious 
in the House. Iii 1887, he was a leading member of the judiciary committee. While in 
the Senate he was a member of the committee on cities and boroughs, and on the committee 
on corporations. It was during his term of service at the state capital that the effort was 
made to remove the court-hou.se from Litchfield to Winsted. Litchfield had been the county 
town from the beginning, and though it was the central point, it was bleak and inaccessible, 
and when the old court-house was burned down, there was immediate thought of rebuild- 
ing elsewhere. Winsted had the advantage of excellent railroad facilities, but Litchfield was 
unwilling to part with her ancient prestige, and other towns also wanted the prize. There 
was an earne.st fight in the legislature, during the course of which Dr. Steele made a speech, 
calm, dignified and argumentative, which was said to be the speech of the session. Win- 
sted won the prize, but was obliged to share it with New Milford. Dr. Steele foresaw 
that wisdom and prudence would still be necessary, and on returning home he prevented 



OF CONNECTICUT, rSdi-iScj^. ' 243 

the citizens from celebratin.e; the event. His tlioiiifht was that other towns wanted the 
court-honse as much as Winsted, and his town could not afford to lose the friendship of 
the rest. His popularity was strikingly illustrated in 1874, when he was elected by a large 
majority in a district strongly Republican, his opponent being one of the leading Republicans 
of the state. 

Dr. Steele was one of the best informed members of the Ma.sonic fraternity in his section 
of the state, having been initiated in St. Andrew's Lodge, July 2, 1851, and three years 
later was chosen its master. He joined Meridian Chapter in 1859, and was high priest of 
the chapter for the years 1860-61. A limited circle of business outside of his profession 
has claimed a portion of his time. For a long series of years he was trustee of the Mechanics' 
Savings Bank, and at the date of death was president of that institution, and was a director 
in the Hurlbnt National Hank. He was associated with Colonel Ratcheller in the manu- 
facture of scythes at Winsted, and was also interested in the Eagle Scythe Works at River- 
ton. His interests were not merely those of a financial character, but by his counsel he 
assisted materially in the success attained. 

The end came suddenly, in the very prime of his later maiihoo:!, soon after he had 
passed his sixty-third birthday. Though willing to live and continue the good work he was 
doing, he was prepared to go on to his reward. The touching scenes at his funeral were 
simply the expressions of the loving respect in which he was held by all classes in the com- 
inunily. A sentence in the mention of the first emigrant of the name is eminently true of 
Dr. Steele: " Unambitious except to do good and be faithful to every trust committed to him." 
Many kindly words were spoken of him at the time of his death. The Winsted Herald 
closed a glowing tribute to his memory in the following words : 

He took high rank in the House during his last term (1887J ami was made a member of the judiciary com- 
mittee. He was a well-informed man and an excellent talker, and was both persuasive and pleasing, and when he 
had "the floor" he was always accorded the close attention of his audience, whether at the State Capitol, the town 
meeting, or at the post-prandial exercises of any board or society of which he might be a member or guest. Few 
men had the " fraternal " characteristic more strongly marked than Doctor Steele. He was a prominent Mason, and 
his lectures on Masonrj- were listened to with delight by members of the Lodge whenever he could be induced to 
give them. He was a member of various other fraternal organizations, but of late years his age debarred. him from 
membership in several beneficiary societies which would gladly have opened their doors to him. But the realm in 
which Doctor Steele will be most missed aside from his own home will be in the homes where he was the beloved 
physician. His practice was very large and might have been very lucrative to him, but he was so much inclined 
to wave his hand and say, "That's all right," when asked for his bill, that the wonder is that he ever accumulated 
any property. The story of his leniency in matters of " collections " m.-iy be had from the mouth of every poor 
man in the community who had occasion to employ him, and there are no sincerer mourners over his death than 
among the poor. He was to them the " Good Samaritan," and on Sunday afternoon fully one thousand persons, 
mostly of this class, called at his home to look upon the face of their friend and benefactor. 

He forgot his own soul for others. 
Himself to his neighbor lending. 
He found his Lord in his suffering brothers. 
And not in the clouds descending. 

In the beginning of his career Dr. Steele laid down two simple rules for his life: First, 
Never to play games of chance, not that such games were totally wrong in his sight, but 
because he had no time to spend that way. Second, Never to sit do-a-ii where liquor was 
sold. He was always a strong temperance man, and could never be induced to taste 
intoxicating drinks. Although he often voted "No License," for reasons which seemed wise 
to himself, he believed that in the present state of society the greatest amount of good could 
be accomplished only by "High Licen.se." 

Har\ey B. Steele was twice married. First, April 30, 1861, to Mar>- :Mather of Win- 
sted, who died in 1872. Second, April 26, 1882, to Emily, daughter of John Stanwood 
of Hartford. She survives him and .still lives to honor his memorv in the old homestead. 



244 



REPRESENTA Til E MEX 



Ym 



lUCK, JOHN R., of Hartford, was born in East Glastonbur}-, Dec. 6, 1836, 

Q and was educated at the academy there, ]ater at Wilbraham Academy, 

IMassachusetts, and then entered Wesle^-an University, Middletown, but did not 

— ^ , srraduate. In 1877, that institution rave him the desrree of M. A. After 

' " ^' ^ - - ^^^^ leaving college, following the example of other successful country boys, he 



began teaching school and taught at Manchester, Glastonbury, East Haddam, and elsewhere, 
generally in academies, that excellent sort of ediicational institution which of late years has 
passed very nearly out of existence. 

Mr. Buck came to Hartford in 1859, and took up the study of law with Judge Martin 
Welles and Julius L. .Strong, the latter of whom afterwards became his partner. In 1862, 
he was admitted to the bar. Two years later he was elected by the Republicans to be 
assistant clerk of the lower house of the Connecticut General Assembly, and, following the 
regular line of promotion, was the next year clerk of the house, and the next after that the 
clerk of the senate. This course opens to a young man a wide acquaintance with men and 
affairs in politics and has pi-o\-ed the entrance for man}- other prominent men to a public 
career. In 1868, ]Mr. Buck was president of the Hartford Common Council; in 1871 and 
1873, he was citv attorney of Hartford; from 1863 to 1881, he was treasurer of Hartford 
county, and in 1SS0-91, he was state senator for the first (Hartford) district. He was 
nominated for Congi'ess in 1880, and was elected over Beach, Democrat, by a vote of 
17,048 to 17,114. Running for the same office in 1882, he was defeated by W. W. Eaton 
by a vote of 14,740 to 14,047. He was elected to the Forty-ninth Congress in 1884, over 
Eaton, by a vote of 16,589 to 16,285, 410 votes having been given for Hannnond, 
Prohibitionist, and 237 votes for Andrews, Greenbacker. In 1886, he was again the 
candidate of his party for the Fiftieth Congress and was defeated by Vance, Democrat, by 
a vote of 14,898 to 14,568. Hart, Prohibitionist, received 996 votes, and Loper, Labor 
candidate, recei\ed 378 votes. When the next election approached, Mr. Buck declined to 
allow his name to be used as a candidate, having determined to devote himself directly to 
the practice of his profession. While in Congress, he was on the committee on the revision 
of the laws, the Indian affairs committee, and the committee on naval affairs, and, in the 
last position, was influential in securing the construction of new ships. 

In 1887, he and the Hon. Lorrin A. Cooke were made receivers of the wrecked 
Continental Life Insurance Company, and the much involved affairs of that company have 
since been gradualh' working into order. Mr. Buck's old partner. Congressman Julius L. 
Strong, died in 1872, and in 1883 he formed a partnership with Judge Arthur F. Eggleston, 
now state attorney, and at that time already one of the most prominent and successful of 
the younger members of the bar, as Buck & Eggleston, and this firm is employed as 
counsel by a large number of important local corporations and private firms, and is 
represented now in nearly all the important cases tried in this part of the state, besides 
being often called elsewhere. Mr. Buck holds his position through no accident of good 
fortune, but as a result of honest, hard work and an attractive personality which has drawn 
to him a very wide acquaintance. The choice gift of making friends is one of his natural 
qualities, and he is personalh- known to as many people in the state as any man in 
Connecticut, while he has acquaintances in every state in the Union. Men who meet him 
remember him. In politics, his experience ranges from town, city, and state affairs to the 
deliberations of Congress, and in law it ranges from the drawing of the will or the organiz- 
ing of a corporation to an argument before the supreme court. His acquaintance with the 
theory and practice of both politics and law is extensive and his ad\-ice in both fields is 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S61-/S94. 245 

liis^hlv valued, for he is iniiversally re<jarclecl as a peculiarly safe and judicious counsellor. 
He has been a Republican from his first appearance in politics and no gathering of the 
leaders of the party in the state is complete without him. His manner is deliberate, and 
caution is one of his characteristics, hut liis conclusions are positive and he always has the 
courage of them. 

In his thirty-five years of life in Hartford, Mr. Buck has earned his reputation alike for 
abilit\- and for honesty. Those who advise with him, know he will say what he thinks, 
and those who are opposed to him know that he will use only honorable methods in dealing 
with them. He is director in the National Fire Insurance Company of Hartford and in the 
Hartford County Mutual Fire Insurance Company. In social life, among his near friends, 
he is lo\ed for his sincerity, his simple tastes, the genuineness of his sympathy, and his 
almost boyish enthusiasm. No man is more fond of his books, no man appreciates a joke 
more, no man enjoys a "day off" better, or finds more genuine pleasure in the sports of 
the country, whether shooting, fishing, or the mere walk abroad. Some years ago, he 
bought the old Buck family mansion near Buck's corners in East Glastonbury, the home of 
his boyhood, back three miles from the Connecticut river and eight miles below Hartford, 
on one of the highest, hills between that city and New London. He has refitted it and 
made his summer home where he can enjoy the breezes under the great trees that his 
ancestors set out, and where his friends are always \velcome and almost always represented, 
and where, among the boys he grew up with, he is still one of them. 

Mr. Buck married Miss Mary A. Keeny of Manchester, in 1865, and they have two 
children. Miss Florence K. Buck and John Halsey Buck, who graduated from Vale in 1S91. 




nlMi 



lORGAX, J. PIERPONT, of New York, is the son of Junius S. .Morgan, the 
I story of whose life appears in the preceding pages, and to which reference 
should be made for points of family history. He was born in Hartford, Conn., 
April 17, 1S37, and like his father, he has gained both pecuniar>- success and 
business reputation outside his native state. His preparatory- education was 
received at the English High School, Boston, and it was finished in a thorough manner at 
the I'niversity of Gottingeu, Germany. 

Inheriting from his father executive ability of a rare order and a taste for financial 
operations of an extended scope, he has developed his talents along this line until now he 
is the actual head of the leading banking firm of the United States. Before he attained his 
majority, Mr. Morgan entered the banking hou.se of Duveau, Sherman & Company, New 
York, and for three years he gained experience in moneyed transactions. In i860, he was 
appointed the agent and attorney in the United States for George Peabody & Company of 
IvOndon, of wliich firm his father was an active member. This was the testing time of his 
career, but he proved equal to all the responsibilities of the position amid the trying times 
of the war period. Four years later he became the junior partner of the firm of Dabney, 
Morgan & Company, and in 1S71 he was made a member of the house of Drexel, Morgan 
tV Company, and that connection has lasted to the present day. 

I'cw men who have l)een so prominent in Wall street are as little known as Mr. 
Morgan. He is a nian of few words, is seldom seen on the street and is difficult of access 
during business hours. Most of his time is spent in his ofllice or at his home, where his 
family life is of a quiet and mode.st nature. Well known in London, he is almost as 

32 



246 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

powerful a factor there as in New York City. The trend of his luiud is towards financial 
projects of a size the very thought of which would overwhelm a man of smaller calibre. If 
he had done nothing else throughout his busy career, his re-organization of the tangled 
affairs of the West Shore Railroad would have raised him to a place in the very front rank 
among American financiers. In recognition of his service as chairman, the re-organization 
committee presented him with a silver and gold dinner set costing $50,000, and it was a 
well deser\-ed tribute to the successful carrying out of his original plan for solving the 
difficulties of the situation. He was the unseen leader of the force in the more recent 
railroad war which ended in the overthrow of what was known as the " Reading Combine." 
His position as the head of the largest banking house in America makes him the centre 
around which numerous important railroad schemes revolve. In his office have been arranged 
many railroad deals with which the public was not made acquainted till months after they 
had been consummated. 

Official stations have been showered upon Air. ]\Iorgan until it would tax his memory 
to remember all the meetings he is called upon to attend, and in many cases over which he 
has to preside. To charitable objects Mr. Morgan gives large sums of money, and is always 
a liberal subscriber to public enterprises and for tlie relief of distress. To St. George's 
Protestant Episcopal church, of which he is a member, he presented a magnificent memorial 
building costing $300,000, which was dedicated in 1888. The fund of the Hartford Free 
Public Library was enriched by $50,000. In 1892, he gave half a million dollars as an en- 
dowment to the New York Trade Schools, and he contributed a like sum to the building 
of St. John's cathedral, and the same year he added to the American Museum of Natural 
History a unique collection of gems valued at $20,000. His interest in suffering humanity 
is evidenced by the fact that during the cholera season, he bought the steamer Stonington 
and gave it to Dr. Jenkins for the use of the Normandia's passengers. Unlike some rich 
men of this last quarter of the nineteenth century, Mr. Morgan does not forget or shirk his 
obligations and responsibilities to the rest of mankind. 




-yOLT, COL. SAMUEL, may be said not only to have started the enterprise, birt 
:!!>; also to have introduced the methods that have given Hartford a unique position 
'('-vV\Vf|rj for excellence of manufactures. More than thirty years after his death the 
methods pursued by him and transmitted through the industrial leaders whom. 
he trained, continue dominant in the large establishments of the place. 
Born at Hartford, July 19, 1814, he was the third son of Christopher Colt, and on the 
maternal side the grandson of John Caldwell, long one of the most prosperous and public 
spirited merchants of the city, and president of the Hartford Bank from its organization in 
1792 till 1819. The fortune of Major Caldwell, largely impaired by the depredations of 
French privateers, mostly disappeared during the grievous depression in New England that 
came with the war of 1812. His sons-in-law were involved in similar disasters, so that the 
lad whose cradle was rocked amid affluence, was forced to enter upon the struggle of life 
unaided and alone. 

At the age of ten he was sent to his father's factory at Ware, Mass., and later to a 
boarding school at Amherst, but longing for activity in a broader field, in Julv, 1827, he 
shipped before the mast for Calcutta, making on the voyage a model prophetic of the 
revolver. After his return he went back to the mill at Ware, where, under the tuition of 




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OF CONNECTICUT, /S6/-/8c^4. 247 

William T. Sinitli of tlie dyeing; and l)leaching department, he learned many facts of 
chemistry and became quite an adept in tlie practical parts of the science. With the 
knowlcdjje and dexterit)- thus acquired, at the age of eighteen alone he tried the world a 
second time, now as a lecturer upon nitrous oxide gas. The tours of " Dr. Coult," extend- 
ing from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and continued at inten-als nearly three years, 
provided the means for the slow development of his invention. At an age when most boys 
are still at school he had visited the antipodes, delighted large audiences from the platform 
and thought out devices which have since revolutionized the uses of firearms. In the years 
1835 and 1S36, respectively, he oljtained patents in Great Britain and the United States for 
a rotating c\dinder containing several chambers to be discharged through a single barrel. 

In 1836, the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company with a nominal capital of $300,000, 
about one-half paid in, was formed at Paterson, X. J., to make the revolver. With 
traditional dislike for innovation, two boards of United States army officers reported against 
the weapon. During the Seminole war Colonel Colt passed the winter of 1837-38 in the 
swamps of Florida, making valuable friends among the officers in command, and proving in 
service the utility of the pistol. Already many had fallen into the hands of Texan rangers 
and had aided conspicuously in winning Texan independence. Although in 1840 an able 
board of army officers, aided by the light of experience, reported unanimously in fa\or of 
Colonel Colt's inventions, the Paterson company failed in 1842, so that their manufacture 
seemed to be indefinitely suspended. 

In 1847, at the instance of General Taylor, one thousand of the pistols were ordered by 
the go\-erument for service in the Mexican War. The market was bare but Colonel Colt, 
from now models embodying many improvements, fdlcd the contract by extemporizing a shop 
at Whituevville, Conn. After years of heroic but disheartening struggle the hour of 
triumph had come. Thenceforward success followed success with a rapidity and rush at that 
time unparalleled in the history of American enterprise. Various patents, sold at the collapse 
of the Paterson company, he obtained again by purchase. 

In 1848, Colonel Colt transferred his plant to Hartford. Driven by the inflow of business 
out of such narrow quarters as the city then afforded, he conceived the idea of building an 
armory that should surpass any private armory on the planet. Dazed by the vastness of his 
plans, the general public gazed with wondering incredulity upon their swift and successful 
accomplishment. In 1852, he bought a large tract in the south meadows on the banks of 
the Connecticut river, within the city limits, and enclosed it with a dyke about one and three- 
quarters miles in length, sloping upward from a Ixise of one hundred feet to a driveway- on 
top of forty feet, and raised thirty-two feet above low water mark. The walls were both 
protected and adorned by an abundant growth of willows. The severest freshets have left 
the property unharmed. The armory itself was begun in 1854, and finished in 1855. 

Meanwhile Colonel Colt hovered between Europe and America, everywhere honored. On 
his journeys business and pleasure were happily combined. While his genius and kingly 
presence conunanded personal homage, the product of his armory having become indispensable, 
exacted tribute, not only from the most powerful empires, but from lonely frontiers and 
from the remotest outposts of civilization. As finished, the armory consists of two parallel 
buildings, each of four stories, and five hundred feet long, connected at the center by a 
building also five hundred feet long, the whole resembling in form a capital H. 

Of the enduring influence upon the connnunity of Colonel Colt's methods, " Hartford in 
1889." says : 

Under the mnnajienieiit of Colonel Colt, aideil !>>■ the able n\cn whom he gathered around him, the establish- 
ment .iiUMnred, in an incredibly short period, to a foremost rank amoii^; the leadinj^ houses of the world. The 
position was won not more by the great value of Colonel Colt's invention than by the excellence of workmanship 



248 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

that extended to every detail of construction, and the severity of judgment that could tolerate no remediable imper- 
fection in the mechanism of the weapon, or in the machinery by which it was made. Several of the most important 
industries of Hartford were organized b\- colonists from the armory, who brought to new lines of effort the same 
determination to produce the best results by the most efficient means. The leaven of the old lump pervades the 
new. Could one trace downward and outward hidden and intricate streams of influence, he would find that the 
lessons inculcated in the armory a generation ago, and since taught by its graduates, have been largeh- instrumental 
in stimulating other manufacturers here to set up similar standards, and in winning for Hartford a world-wide repu- 
tation for the excellence of its manufactured goods. ♦ ♦ « The armory became a genuine training school in 
applied mechanics, where absolute excellence, even if beyond human reach, was the only recognized standard. 

After the Mexican War, orders came in ceaseless and swelling streams. Meanwhile, the 
process of simplification and improvement kept pace with the demand. Machinery for the 
work was both in\-ented and made on the premises. From this department several foreign 
armories were largely equipped. 

In boyhood, Colonel Colt began to experiment with submarine explosives, and was, 
perhaps, the first person to realize adeqnatel)- the possibilities of the torpedo for harbor 
defence. In the presence of the highest officials of the nation, he blew up ships in motion 
by batteries concealed beneath the surface, sending the electric spark from stations miles 
away. He eloquently urged the government to adopt the system, but his conceptions were 
so far ahead of the age that years must pass before their utility could be recognized. 
He was also the first to devise and lay an insulated submarine electric cable, having thus 
in 1843 successfully connected New York city with stations on Fire and Coney Islands. 

Colonel Colt married at Middletown, Conn., June 5, 1856, Miss Elizabeth H. Jarvis, 
eldest daughter of Rev. Wm. Jarvis, a lady of rare gifts and graces. On the 7th, the bridal 
party sailed for Liverpool, and proceeded thence to St. Petersburg, where they witnessed 
the coronation of the Emperor Alexander, and took part in subsequent fetes. In February, 
1857, they moved into the elegant home which he had built on a spacious plateau over- 
looking the armory and the valley of the Connecticut. Here amid domestic jo}'s he found 
blissful relief from the exactions of a business that now encircled the globe. Here two 
sons and two daughters were born to them, and here entered the angel of death to claim 
three of the number. The spirit that had conquered uncounted obstacles in the battle 
of life was well-nigh broken b\' these bereavements. 

With vast resources at command and inspired by almost unerring foresight, Colonel Colt 
had in mind colossal schemes that, had time been given, might have dwarfed previous accom- 
plishments. Among them was an addition to the armory of a plant for the manufacture of 
cannon on a large scale. But time was not given. Jan. 10, 1862, he pa.ssed away in the 
meridian of his powers. At the funeral fifteen hundred workmen from the armory, with tearful 
eyes, lined the pathway to the grave. The city and the nation mourned. 

Colonel Colt had all the attributes of the born leader. He was an excellent judge of char- 
acter, and, though a stern disciplinarian, by fairness, kindness and generosity bound to himself 
with hooks of steel his assistants and employees. Those who knew him best loved him most. 
The Church of the Good Shepherd, a beautiful edifice built by ]\Irs. Colt within the enclosure 
of the dyke, is one of many memorials consecrated by affection to his memory. She has 
managed the affairs of the great estate with a wisdom that has preserved its integrity, with a 
benevolence that through organized charity and private channels has carried comfort to many 
homes, and with a profusion of refined hospitality that has imparted a richer coloring to the 
social development of the city. It can be truly said of her that the influence conferred by 
large wealth and exceptional talents has been uniformly exerted to promote the happiness and 
welfare of others. 

But one child, Caldwell Hart Colt, survived the period of infancy. Born Nov. 24, 1858, 
he was educated largely under the direction of private tutors, though he attended for a time 



OF CONXECT/CUT, iS6i-iSi)4. 249 

St. Paul's Preparatory School at Concord, X. H., and the Sheffield Scientific School at New 
Haven. He early manifested great fondness for the sea, becoming an accomplished sailor. 
In 1881, he bought the "Dauntless." In her he cruised in many waters and took part in 
several famous races. Brave, generous and zealous in efforts to build up the yachting interests 
of America, he was beloved by a wide circle of friends. At the time of his death in Florida, 
Jan. 21, 1S94, he was vice-commodore of the New York Yacht Club and commodore of the 
Larchmout Club. Extracts from the resolutions adopted at the annual meeting of the last 
named club, show the high esteem in which he was held l)y his associates: 

It is no exaggeration to say that CaUhvell H. Colt was the typical yachtsman of his day, and that no man in 
this country or abroad has earned a higher place in the annals of the sport to which we are devoted. He had carried 
his flag with credit to himself, and honor to his country in many seas. He was the master of his own vessel, and 
never feared to face danger, never hesitated to embark in a race. 

On the placid waters of Long Island Sound, amid the turbulent waves of niid-.\tlaiilic, and in foreign seas he 
was equally at home, and was ever a thorough seaman, a gallant yachtsman, and a true sportsman. He never 
declined a contest because success seemed doubtful, and he never stooped to take an unfair advantage of an adver- 
sary. In the private relations of life his loss will be felt and deplored by many men in many countries. He had 
travelled widely ; and wherever he had gone, he had never failed to win devoted and admiring friends. Always 
courteous, always generous, always mindful of the comfort and pleasure of others, it is not strange that he earned 
and kept the affectionate regard of all with whom he came into contact. It can be truly said of hiui that to know 
him was to love him, and that, the longer and better he was known, the more he was beloved. 

The Ivarchniont Yacht Club honored itself when he was elected Commodore, and to him is due no small part 
of its present prosperity. We have lost a friend, but his memory will not grow dim, aii<l his example will survive 
to remind us constantly what a thorough yachtsman ought to be. 



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HEFFIKLI), JOSEPH EARL, of New Haven, was born in Southport, Conn., 
June 19, 1793. He passed on to his reward Feb. 16, 1882, having by nine 
years exceeded the biblical limit of four.score. 

His father and grandfather were extensive .ship owners, and took an active 
part in the War of the Revolution, in an armed vessel which was^commissioned 
by Congress but was equipped and sailed by themselves. Mabel (Thorp) Sheffield, his 
mother, was the daughter of Walter Thorp, also of Southport, a shipmaster and owner, who 
was engaged in West India trade. The business of both the Sheffields and Captain Thorp 
was almost destroyed by the Berlin and Milan decrees of Napoleon. 

Till the age of fourteen, young Sheffield faithftilly attended the \illage school, except 
that meanwhile he showed the adventurous spirit of the familv by going twice to Carolina 
as a cabin boy. In 1807, at the age of fourteen, he was taken as a clerk to Newbern, 
N. C, by Mr. Stephen Fowler, and in the year following was transferred to the drug- 
store in the same town of his brother-in-law, the late Dr. Webb, continuing there till the 
spring of 1 81 2, when, as he was on a visit to his parents, war was declared against Great 
Britain. At the age of twenty, he was solicited to act as supercargo of a vessel bound for 
North Carolina, which should nin the British blockade at Sandy Hook, and provide itself with 
a return cargo of pitch and other naval stores then bringing a high price in New York. 
Being successful in both enterprises he was made a partner in the house before he was 2 1 ; 
connnencing his almost unifonnly successful and always sagacious career. In two years he 
showed his self-reliance and sagacity, when finding his house at the close of the war in 
possession of a large stock of goods bought at war prices and under heavy liabilities, he 
sold them at low rates and as rapidly as possible, "contrary to the judgment but not to 
the consent of his partners," and rapidly converted the returns into naval stores which still 



250 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

continued high at New York; "much to the joy of his associates and surprise of his more 
timid and tardy neighbors who had not believed in the rapid decline of goods, and had 
looked on these liold operations with no little misgiving and astonishment." 

In 1816, prices having fallen in North Carolina to a ruinous point, and his firm having 
still on hand a large stock of goods, he set off on horseback upon a solitary journev of 
exploration of a thousand miles, much of it through the then Indian territory. His desti- 
nation was the new settlements in Alabama to which emigrants were then rapidly flow- 
ing. After visiting several infant towns, he fi.Ked upon Mobile as his future home, then 
containing 1,000 inhabitants, and ordered at once his entire stock of goods, worth some 
$50,000, to' be shipped to this port. They did not arrive until the spring of 1817, when, 
pursuing the policy alread)- adopted, he sold them very rapidly at low prices, investing the 
proceeds in cotton and peltries, in what was almost the first cargo that was sent directly 
from Mobile to New York. In view of what was regarded by many as the unfortunate 
location of Mobile as a sea-port, Mr. Sheffield in connection with several enterprising 
merchants undertook to locate and build up another port on the other side of the bay. 
The enterprise proved unsuccessful, and after five years of hard labor he returned to Mobile 
in 1822, no better in his fortunes than when he began. Here he remained, prosecuting a 
very extensive and lucrative biisiness, till the spring of 1835, when he removed from Mobile 
to New Haven at the age of forty-two. His reasons for this course were his abhorrence of 
slavery, and a desire to "give such education to my children as will fit them for a rational 
and religious course in this life, and prepare them for a better." 

This removal did not terminate his business relations with Mobile. For some nine vears 
afterwards he regularly spent his winters in that city for the purpose of buying and shipping 
cotton, and was brought into still closer connection and higher reputation with the merchants 
and capitalists of New York. 

The next most important event of his life, so far as his subsequent history is concerned, 
was the p^irchase of tlie majority of the stock of the so-called Farmington Canal, the legal 
title of which was the New Haven & Northampton Company. The most of this stock had 
fallen very largely into the hands of Mr. Shefiield at a low price, and for several years 
it yielded a moderate profit to Mr. Sheffield and Mr. Henry Farnam, its principal owners, 
the latter gentleman ha\'ing been connected with it as an engineer from the beginning of 
its construction. Later on they began the construction of a railway along the line of the 
canal, but complications arose which were exceedingly adverse to its success, and were exceed- 
ingly vexatious to Mr. Sheffield. Both the gentlemen decided to transfer their energies 
and activities to another and distant field, not, however, without leaving upon Mr. Shef- 
field a series of burdensome and expensive responsibilities for the remaining thirty years of 
his life in extending and completing the canal railway. 

The purchase and operation of this canal led to an intimate and unbroken friendship 
with Mr. Farnam in which both found the greatest satisfaction. This friendship grew out 
of the most intimate business relations in which each admirably supplemented the other, and 
to the perfect confidence and united strength which attended this union should be ascribed 
the inception and the early completion of some of the most important enterprises of the 
present generation. The management of this canal naturally brought Mr. Sheffield into 
intimate connection with the capitalists and merchants of New Haven, and into active zeal 
for the promotion of its interests by other public works. Few people know how prominent 
and influential was Mr. Sheffield in the first conception and actual construction of the rail- 
way to New York. It was largely through his efforts that the subscriptions were secured 
and the work besfun. 



OF COXXECTICUT, iS6i-jS<)4. 251 

His new enterprises in the West, however, were inspiring and fnll of hope, and their 
splendid and most honorable success was most jjratifying to his ambition. They were also 
larjjely remnnerative. The first of these undertakings was the connection with Chicago of 
one of the great western lines by the construction of the last one hundred miles that had 
long been delayed. This was easily accomplished by the credit of Mr. vSheffield and the 
energy of his associate, and the day after Chicago was connected for the first time bv rail 
with New York, the price of real estate was doubled in the great cit\- of the lakes. 
The next movement was still bolder in its proposal and more successful in its achieve- 
ment. It was another movement towards the Pacific by the construction of the Chicago 
& Rock Island Railroad. This was finished in five-eighths of the time contracted for, 
and with scarcely the least friction or delay, by reason of the confidence which was felt 
in the financial ability and honesty, and the skill and energy, of the two contractors. At 
its completion, in 1S54, 1,000 guests were invited by ]\Iessrs. Sheffield and P'arnam to a 
holiday excursion, \vhich was one of the most memorable and instructive that was ever 
celebrated in the country. The next move westward was the bridging of the Mississippi. 
Other and important interests arrested this enterprise, and serious legal difficulties were 
interposed which were finally set aside by the highest* tribunal of the nation. This being 
• accomplished, the work of moving farther westward was, after some hesitation, finally 
left by both to other hands. In all these nioveuients and the transactions incident to 
them, Mr. Sheffield made large additions to his estate, although he was till nearly the end 
of his life vexed and burdened by the man)' calls which were made upon him to save and 
make sure his first railway investment. It was most gratifying to him and his friends to 
find that this enterprise, which had been so long a drain upon his estate, and a constant 
trial to his jjatience, by an unexpected event a few months before his death, had at last 
made good the confidence, the pledges and assurances which he had embarked in it. 

From the principles which he had early adopted for the direction of his business life, 
Mr. Sheffield never deviated, and he held them if possible with greater warmth and tenacity 
at the end than at the beginning. They were a part of his manhood, the expression of his 
living self, the application of sound ethical and practical principles. They will always hold 
good in the acquisition and protection of property, in the ambitions and competitions of 
exchange, in the hopes of enterprise, in the projects that build cities and people deserts, that 
tunnel mountains and open highways for nations. From the earliest days of trade and 
conunerce down to the present, there have been merchants and bankers who were not only 
princely in their state and splendor but also princely in their honor and truth; not only 
princely in the reach of their plans and aims, but princely in their methods of fulfilling them. 
There have also been merchants and bankers who have been the meanest and most cniel of 
their kind. To which of these classes Mr. Sheffield belonged, it need not be said. Whatever 
else might be said of him, it was always true that as a man of business his sen.se of honor 
was as quick as the blush of a maiden, and hence it was that whenever he gave his word, 
no matter how largely or speedily any credit was needed, credit and money were always at 
his command. He abhorred from the bottom of his soul sharp practices of ever>- sort; he 
was never content to fulfill his word or bond merely to the letter if he could by any means 
evade its spirit. He was not honorable simply from the traditions of his guild, but he was 
honorable from the conxictions of his conscience and the sentiments of his heart. 

Thus far Mr. Sheffield has been followed in the transactions of business and the 
accumulation of wealth. It is but natural that he should be followed in the use of his 
property and the exercise of benevolence. The most conspicuous and widely known of his 
benefactions were made to the Scientific School which will always be known by his name. 



252 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 

These benefactions began the year after the snccessfnl completion of the Rock Island Rail- 
way, in 1855, and continue! till his death, with an unremitting flow for a period of twenty- 
seven years. His attention had previously been favorably directed to the college by the per- 
sonal interest and s\nipathv in his early railway operations by two or three members of 
its faculty, at a time when personal sympathy was especially grateful. After the marriage 
of his daughter in 1854, to Prof. John A. Porter, the professor of Analytical and Agricul- 
tural Chemistry, 1852-1864, in the then infant and struggling "Department of Philosophy 
and the Arts," he had made his first donation to this department of some five thousand 
dollars. This was just before he went abroad in 1856, for an absence of two years or 
more. Professor Porter was a broad-minded and sanguine scholar, of varied knowledge 
and culture in both literature and science, who was well fitted to inspire a man like ]\Ir. 
Sheffield with interest in the prosperity and plans of the then infant institution. It was a 
time when the so-called New Education was beginning to be talked of, and when varied 
projects were devised and discussed for promoting an education which should be at once 
more technically scientific, and more positively practical than had been provided in the 
colleges. To meet these wants in a tentative way one section of the department already 
spoken of was organized, and its friends soon became convinced that for its successful 
de\-elopment it needed a separate building and apparatus, as also a fund for the endow- 
ment of professorships. All these were in part pro\ided for by Mr. Sheffield about the 
time of his return from Europe in 185S. The old Medical College was purchased for 
$16,500, then enlarged and re-fitted at an expense of $35,000, and completed as Sheffield 
Hall in time for the opening of the school in September, i860. In October, of the same 
year, Mr. Sheffield, percei\ing that an additional endowment was essential to its success, 
added $40,000, making according to his statements an expenditure of $101,557.92. 

In 1865-66, after the state grant of $135,000, he again enlarged Sheffield Hall at an 
expense of $46,739.38, and added a library fund of $10,000. Later through his influence 
Mrs. Higgin gave ^^5,000 to endow a professorship, and at her death added a legacj- of 
^1,000 for the same purpose. In 1870-71, he gave the land and contracted for the erection 
of North Sheffield Hall at a cost of $115,360. Other large gifts are not named, which 
included liberal contributions for specific objects, and frequent additions to its income. All 
these gifts may be estimated as something over $450,000. By his will he directed that his 
handsome residence and the grounds attached should eventually become its property, and 
that the school which bears his name should share eqrrally with each of his children in the 
final distribution of his large estate. All these gifts may be safely estimated as considerably 
more than $1,000,000. It is worthy of notice that whenever anything was contributed to 
the school by others, Mr. Sheffield was inspired to add a liberal gift of his own. The gift 
of the state fund induced him to enlarge Sheffield Hall and to add to its apparatus and 
library. The efforts for endowment in 1S69-71, which were responded to to the extent of 
some $90,000, including the gift of Mrs. Higgin, led him to add some $76,000 to the 
endowment previously given by himself. 

It also deserves to be noted that the relations of ]\Ir. Sheffield to the trustees and officers 
of the college and scientific school have nniformlv been most pleasant and friendly. Every 
one of his gifts was inspired by an intelligent and unshaken confidence in the theorj' of the 
school and in the wisdom of its managers. It is most notewortlu' that he never manifested 
the desire or made the effort to direct its policy or interfere with its administration. When 
elected a member of the corporation of the college by the votes of the graduates, he took his seat 
at a single session in acknowledgment of the compliment, but forthwith resigned his place. 
He never attended the commencement of the colleofe or the anniversarv of the scientific 



OF CONNECT/CUT, 1861-18^)4. 253 

school. Wlienever any enlargement of its resources was needed he was glad to be informed, 
but he was content to understand the reasons for the opinions of those in whom he confided, 
without attempting to alter them or advancing a theory of his own. It was enough for him 
to confide in the judgment of men whom he believed to be honest, and knew they were 
competent. In these respects he was a model worthy of imitation, and presented a striking 
contrast to manv patrons of schools of learning and institutions of beneficence. While in 
some relations he manifested a sensitive distrust of men, he was slow to withdraw his confidence 
from tho.se whom he had learned to trust. In respect of intelligent, cheerful, abundant, 
untiring, and modest liberality to institutions of learning, Mr. Sheffield was an example to 
the men of wealth in all this land. His liberality of this description has been surpassed by 
few in respect to the aiuount of his gifts. Here and there indeed one has given larger sums 
with the express purpose of founding an institution which should be called after his name. Mr. 
Sheffield began his benefactions with no such intentions or expectations, but from a personal 
conviction of the value and promise of a tentative school which was then regarded onl\- as an 
offshoot of a great university. It grew in his esteem and confidence as he witnessed its well- 
earned success by honorable methods, on a basis of honest work. It also grew in his affections, 
and before he knew it, it was adopted as his child. His opportunity was a rare cue indeed; 
l)ul it is perhaps more rare that such an opportunity finds a man sagacious enough to under- 
stand and impro\e it. 

Mr. Sheffield did not limit his public l)enefactions to the scientific .school. He was for 
many years a trustee of Trinity College and warmh- interested in its prosperity, and gave 
to it, from time to time, donations amounting in all to $16,800. The Berkeley Divinity 
School of iMiddletown, also had his warm and active sympathy, which was manifested by 
liberal gifts from time to time, to meet its pressing wants, amounting in all to $75,000, and 
by a generous legacy at his death of f 100,000. 

Nor did Mr. ShefTield limit his benefactions to institutions of higher education. The 
earliest object of any distinguished liberality after he became a resident in New Haven was 
the parish school of Trinity church. He found this school, in 1854, in a straightened con- 
dition, and at the instance of a few well-known ladies of the parish, he gave $5,000 as a fund 
for the support of a teacher, and a second $5,000 after his return from Europe in 1858. 
About this time the necessit\- for a Parish Home was pressed upon his attention by the same 
ladies. As the result of this solicitation, and of his own deliberate and serious thoughts, he 
provided for the excellent and interesting .suite of buildings on George street, which include 
a parish school-house, an old ladies' home, and a chapel, with accommodations for a minister 
at large, at a cost of some $160,000, all of which were given in tnist to the parish of Trinity 
church, and solemnly consecrated on the 24th of July, 1S69. 

Mr. Sheffield was a man of superior intellect, and this superiority was manifested in the 
acuteness, penetration and forecast of his jtidgment, and by the skill and success with which 
he made his business life to become an efficient school of training to his plastic mind. He 
delighted in the use of the pen, and he made the practice of writing a business and delight. 
Had he given himself greater leisure and opportunity for the culture of literature, for which 
he had a decided taste, he might have become an accomplished writer, as he certainly could 
not but be an able critic. Clear statement, acute analysis, e.xhau.stive argument, decisive con- 
futali<in. orderly method, felicitous diction and elevated sentiment, are all conspicuous in 
many a business letter and report. Mr. Sheffield set the highest value upon the.se qualifications, 
and upon the value of a liberal education to develop and mature them, and for this reason 
he supported schools of learning with such lavish liberality. He may in some respects have 
bnilded more wisely than he knew, but it was altogether in harmony with his judgment that 

33 



254 



REPRESENTA TIJ E MEN 



the school which bears his name, early became more than a school of special skill and limited 
research, and was lifted np into a college of liberal cnltnre, which aims as specifically to 
discipline the intellect and character as it does to impart technical knowledge and skill. 

It was impossible that a man of snch largeness of views, and of so wide an acquaintance 
with commercial and public affairs, should not be a man of decided political opinions and 
ardent political sympathies. Like many of his fellow-merchants at the South, especialh' in 
those early times, he was known as a man of Northern principles during the many years in 
which the questions wdiich divided the people of the South were those of nullification and 
state rights on the one side, and Unionism and federal authorit>- on the other. He cast his 
first vote with great energy-, at Newbern, N. C, in 1814, for what was then called the Federal 
ticket. Party spirit was at fever heat, and IMr. Sheffield was brought into critical relations 
with dangerous men, one of whom made a deadly assault iipon his person. The event was 
reported through the country and made no little sensation. Subsequently, at Mobile, during 
the exciting times of nullification, from 1830 to 1835, he was again very thoroughh- aroused 
by the preparations and threats of an active resistance to the collection of certain duties on 
cotton bagging at Charleston and Mobile, and was prominent as a member and promoter of a 
quasi militar>- organization of some sixty or seventy Northern residents for the purpose of 
defending the United States authorities against violence. 

These excitements were scarcely over, when by his remo\al to the North he encountered 
the rising waves of a movement of a very different character — the anti-slavery movement which 
in varying forms and varying fortunes finally led to the memorable Civil War, in which 
American slavery- perished forever. With the anti-slavery movement as such in any of its 
phases and organizations, Mr. Sheffield never sympathized, much as he had learned to dread 
and abhor slavery. He withdrew in silent grief and disdain from all political parties when he 
gave his last vote at any election for Bell and Everett. The war was to him an event in which 
he had no complacency in any of its aspects except in its assertion of the sovereignty of the 
Union. In anv other relation he could not look upon it with the least satisfaction. But he 
made this position no excuse for the neglect of his social duties, and continued- in the active 
discharge of his accustomed neighborly duties and in the administration of public and private 
charities. He contributed liberally to alleviate the hardships and sufferings of the soldiers 
in the field and the hospital. The fact deser\-es notice that many of his most liberal 
contributions Avere made after the war broke out, when he was more than seventy years old. 
When the war was well over, and the many ugly questions which peace brought with itself 
were in some sort settled, he more than acquiesced in the extinction of slavery, though he 
never forgot to sympathize with the personal sufferings and hopes of his old acquaintances 
at the South. At the same time he fell back with more than accustomed loyalty upon his 
recollections of Clay and Webster, and the school of patriots and orators which they 
represented. 

Iir concluding a memorial discourse, Pres. Noah Porter of Yale College said : 

Those of us who knew Mr. Sheffield as a neighbor can testify that he was eminently courteous, sympathizing^ 
and just, and that the more intimately we knew him the more emphatically did we find him a warm and true 
friend who rejoiced with us in our joys and mourned with us in our bereavements and sorrows. Few of his 
acquaintances knew hovv warm and tender-hearted he was, how sensitive to the singing of birds, to the indications 
of spring, to the beautiful in nature, to the pathos of literature and the sorrows and joys of human kind, nor how 
freshly these emotions warmed his heart to the end of his life. 

In his own family he was eminently affectionate and tender-hearted both as husband and father, finding in 
his own home the haven of his rest, and looking within it for his most satisfying delights. His children look 
back to niany hours of their earliest childhood as made merry by his cheerful sympathy, and to the shaded years 
of their own family life as illumined and hallowed by his watchful care, his sensitive tenderness and his grave 
admonitions. He died in peace and gratitude and love and hope in the presence of them all. As they watched the 




^i 




OF cokNEcricur, 1861-/894. 255 

ebbing of his life tUey could not but bless their Father in Heaven for the goodness which had given them such a 
father on earth, while they could not but weep that a blessing so long continued should be taken away. " So long 
continued ! " For nearly ninety years he lived, and when he died his eye was scarcely dim nor was his natural 
force greatly abated. We see him no more, but he lives with God. Meanwhile the great school which he almost 
created, the poor whom he blessed with his bounty and his love, the city which he enriched by his enterprise and 
beautified by his taste, the church in which he was a devout and humble believer, all unite to hallow and bless his 
memory. 

J()sc]>li E. Sheffield was married in 1822, to Maria, daughter of Col. T. St. John of 
Walton, X. V. 



>^<^=r>^>/ORBIN, PHILIP, of New Britain, fonnder and present head of the P. & F. 
f^ipff^'jjji Corbin Company, and ex-state senator, was born in Willington, Conn., Oct. 

'jtV,^\^>^j^ Descended from a long line of sturdy New England ancestors, Mr. 

Corbin's strength of character came to him by inheritance. James Corbin was 
one of the forty men who settled Woodstock, Conn., in 1686. It is not known thron.o^h 
Avhich of his sons the family comes down, btit Lemuel, his grandson, was the father of 
Philip Corbin, who removed from Dndley, Ma.ss., in 1793, to Union, Conn. A history of 
the town .says of him, "Mr. Corl)in was a man of more than ordinary powers of body and 
mind, which, guided by stern integrity, gave him an influence largely felt wherever he 
went. He was a farmer, owning a large tract of land, and used to manufacture potash in 
considerable quantities, which he sold in Norwich. At one time he owned part of the 
Mashapaug saw mill. He was selectman a number of years, and represented his town in 
the legi.slature in 1814-15. He was a prominent and influential member of the church at 
Union, and one of the building committee of the present meeting-house." He married 
Rhoby Healey, by whom he had six children. Of these, Philip Corbin, Jr., was the third. 
From Union he transferred his residence to Willingtou, and in 1833, he moved to West 
Hartford, where he died July 24, 1881. He married Lois Chaffee of Ashford, Nov. 29, 
1S20. Ten of their children lived to years of maturity. His father was a farmer of small 
means, and the six boys became early inured to hard work, thus developing vigorous 
physical frames, industrious habits, self-reliance and enterprise, which largely counterbalanced 
the disadvantages of their limited education. 

Besides attendance at the district schools, Philip Corbin was a student for three terms 
at the West Hartford Academy. From the age of fifteen to that of nineteen, he was 
employed in farm labor away from home, perfonning the full work of a man and earning a 
man's wages, which were, however, received by his father. Having a decided mechanical 
taste, at nineteen he resolved on a change of employment, and in March, 1844, he went to 
New Britain, already a thriving center of manufacturing industries. He oljtained work first 
in the factory of Russell & Erwin, and later in the lock shop of North & Stanlej-. At the 
end of ten months, by careful attention to details and working out of regular hours, he had 
become so expert that he felt competent to undertake a contract on his own account. Mr. 
Corbin made his bid, received the contract, and fulfilled it to the .satisfaction of the firm. 
The next year he got a second contract, and in this he took his brother Frank into 
partnership. Each of the boys, until attaining his majority, retained for his own use only 
enough to pay his personal expen.ses, giving the balance to their father. 

In 1849, the brothers entered into partnership with Edward Doen, under the stvle of 
Doen, Corbin & Company, and built a small shop at the east end of the town. This was 
fitted up with machinery run b>- horse power, steam power having been introduced oulv to 



256 REPRESENTArUE MEN 

a limited extent ; the joint capital being nine hundred dollars, and the proprietors did most 
of the manual labor with their own hands, all of them being successful workmen. It is 
not the province of this sketch to follow the firm through all its subsequent changes. The 
same fraternal interest which led Philip Corbin to associate his brother Frank with him in 
his early contracts, brought the younger brothers, each in turn, gradually to share in the 
business, until four of them have at different times had a part in its management. By 1853 
the business had rapidly increased, and in that year it was organized as a joint stock 
companv, retaining the name of the firm. In the two score }-ears which have elapsed since 
that time, improvement in machinery, with the enlargement of the old and the erection of 
new buildings, have increased the capacity of the company from seventy-five men to an 
average of 1,200 in all its various departments. 

In conclusion, an article published some years ago in " Representatives of New 
England Manufacturers" says of the concern: 

It was the aim of the Messrs. Corbiu to engage in a line of business distinct from that of any of the manufac- 
turers around them, and in competition only with foreign imported goods. The first articles made were ox balls, 
for tipping the horns of cattle, also window springs, lamp hooks, and similar articles, and in these they soon 
attained a profitable business. They adhered to their proposed Hue until others in the vicinity engaged in the same 
lines of manufacture. They determined then to enter fields they had previously avoided, and began the manufac- 
ture of hinges, latches, bolts, locks and miscellaneous hardware for building purposes. They at first contented 
themselves with making the plainer and cheaper goods, in which other concerns had for years been plodding along, 
but in 1868, they struck into a new field, and began to make more ornamental and more expensive goods than had 
heretofore been in the market. These included hinges, knobs, escutcheons and other door trimmings, mostly- 
bronzed. The Corbins were the first to use in this specialty of manufacture the bronzing process patented by 
Hiram Tucker of Boston, which soon became popular in the lamps and gas fixtures, and other ornamental goods of 
the Tucker Manufacturing Company. They have supplied not only private purchasers, but many public and 
government buildings, including all the bronze hardware for the State, Navy and War Department Buildings at 
Washington ; for Post Ofiice and Sub-Treasury Building at Boston, and for other buildings erected in Boston since 
the great fire, and al.so in New York and other large cities for mercantile, banking and insurance purposes. To 
them was awarded the contract for supplying the hardware for the fine Capitol of Connecticut. To meet this 
demand, a large corps of the best workmen, of inventors, designers and pattern makers, is employed in the pro- 
duction of articles novel in device and artistic in design. .^11 the stockholders of the company, except the members 
of the firm of North & Stanley, who invested capital at the outset, and have never had any active relations with its 
business, are employed in some capacity, and with the exception of Messrs. Peck and Spring, the former the secre- 
tary and the latter the superintendent of the factory, are brothers. They combine the enterprise, energy and 
mechanical skill which marked Philip Corbiu. 

He is the president of the New Britain Architectural Terra Cotta Company, which has 
only been in existence for a short time, but it is doing an excellent business. He also 
occupies the position of president and treasurer of the Corbin Hardware Company, which is 
an outgi-owth of the P. & F. Corbin Company. It was organized in 1882, for the purpose 
of manufacturing cabinet locks and cabinet hardware. 

First an active member of the old Whig party, and then of its successor, the present 
Republican party, Mr. Corbin has never cared for ofiice, being content from a private station 
to see the best interests of the country conser\-ed. In 1849, he was induced to accept the 
position of warden of the borough, and when New Britain was incorporated, he became a 
member of the Common Council. The establishment of the water works was largely his 
work, and he has served many years upon the board of water commissioners. In 1884, 
he was elected to the lower branch of the state legislature, and was appointed House chair- 
man of the important committee on insurance. It was characteristic of him to spend a large 
amount of time in examining the technical merits of the measures submitted. His nomi- 
nation for state senator in the fall of 1888, was wdiolly tmsolicited, but was demanded by 
the interests of the district. The election which followed proved the wisdom of the choice 



OF COSXECTICUr, iS6i-iSg4. 257 

of the convention, and gave to the district an able senator and a loyal worker. As in all 
other fields of service his experience in the senate chamber was one of great usefulness to 
his constituents and to the state, and of lasting credit to himself. 

Mr. Corbin was married June 21, 1848, to Francina T., daughter of Henry W. 
Whiting. Three children have been born to them, of whom two are now living. Charles 
F. is associated with his father in business and Nellie V . is the wife of William Beers. 




gRAINARD, LEVERETT, mayor of Hartford, and president of the Case, Lock- 
wood & Brainard Company, was born in Westchester Society, Colchester, Feb. 
13, 1828. 

Mr. Brainard comes of a sturdy Connecticut stock, and in him is found no 
deterioration from the high standard of the past. He is a grandson of William 
Brainard, who was ensign of a company of militia in the regiment connnanded by Lieut. -Col. 
Levi Wells, which did service in the continental army in 1780. His father's name was 
Amaziah Brainard, and his mother was Huldah F'oote, daughter of Nathaniel F'oote. 

The education of the future man of business was obtained in the public schools and the 
Bacon Academy at Colchester. From the age of thirteen years, when he was left in charge 
of the old homestead at Westchester, on account of the death of his father, he has been the 
architect of his own fortunes. A portion of his early life was spent in Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Brainard became a resident of Hartford in 1853, his first business connections being 
with the City F'ire Insurance Company, as secretary. He filled this responsiVile position for 
five years, and then entered into an active partnership in the firm with which his life for the 
la.st forty-five years has been identified. The firm has a most honorable record, and a few 
words of its early histor>' are fitting. In January-, 1836, Newton Case and E. D. Tiffany 
bought out the printing oflRce of J. H. Wells, and connnenced operations as Case, Tiffany 
& Company. A year after the formation of the firm, the panic of 1837 struck the countn,-. 
The blow was a hard one, but the plucky partners weathered the storm. For fifteen >ears, 
"Webster's Unabridged Dictionary" was printed at their office, and their success with the 
"Cottage Bible" led the firm on until many other works were added to the list of subscription 
books published by them, and the field was diligently cultivated, with satisfactory results. 
In 1853, James Lockwood and Albert G. Cooley were taken into the partnership, and four 
years later Messrs. Tiffany and Cooley, and the following year Mr. Brainard became part of 
the concern. The name was changed to Case, Lockwood & Brainard, and this association 
remained unbroken until the death of Mr. Lockwood in 18S8. Mr. Case died in 1S90, and 
Mr. Brainard is now the only one of the older members connected with the business. By 
special charter from the state, the establishment was organized as "The Case, Lockwood & 
Brainard Company" in 1874, and Mr. Case was chosen president. At his death, Mr. Brainard, 
who had been .secretary and treasurer, was made the head of the firm, and he is still filling that 
important position. The company's plant is the largest in the state, and they do practically 
all kinds of work required in the "art of the preservation of all arts." 

Mr. Brainard's strength and business capabilities ha\e not all been confined to the 
immense printing establishment of which he is the head and controlling spirit. He is president 
of the Hartford Paper Company, and holds a directorship in the .Etna Life Insurance Company, 
the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, Hartford & New York Steamboat Company, 
the ..-Etna National Bank, the State Savings Bank, the Orient Fire Insurance Company, the 



258 REPRESENTATHE MEN 

Connecticut General Life Insurance Company and the Willimantic Linen Company. In each 
of these varied corporations, his long experience and excellent judgment render him a valued 
counsellor. Mr. Brainard is a member of the Pearl street Congregational Society, and is 
interested in all the charities and Christian work connected with that organization. 

Without seeking the honors of official station, Mr. Brainard has not shirked the respon- 
sibilities which every intelligent citizen has in the government of his city and state. He has 
been a member of the Court of Common Council of Hartford, and in 1884, represented the city 
in the legislature. Being appointed House chairman of the committee on railroads, in that 
capacity he rendered invaluable service to his constituents, as he brought all the useful 
knowledge gained by long experience to bear on the questions introduced for solution. In 
1890, he was appointed the head of the World's Fair commission for this state, his principal 
associate being Ex-Governor Waller. Later, ]\Ir. Brainard was .selected by the joint members 
of the commission at Chicago, as the chairman of the committee on manufactures, in all 
respects the most important of the working committees of the commission. The appointment 
of a citizen of Connecticut for this responsible place, was a high compliment to the state, as 
well as to the gentleman on whom the honor was conferred. Republican in his political belief, 
he has been a distinguished representati\e of that party's interests from the verj- beginning 
of his public career. A single term in the legislature, a few years in the Common Council of 
Hartford, will cover the extent of his service in an official capacity before his election as 
mayor of the city. This event was brought about without effort on his part and against his 
wishes, considerable pressure being brought to bear to induce him to accept the nomination. 
Said the Coiiraiil previous to the Repid^lican caucus in the spring of 1894: 

Several other excellent men have been talked of for the office, but Mr. Brainard is recognized as especially 
fitted to be the candidate at the present time, embodying as he does so many elements of political strength in 
addition to his manifest personal fitness. Mr. Brainard is one of Hartford's leading citizens. He has both pride 
and personal interest in the city's welfare. He has devoted a useful life to work here, much of which has gone to 
cares and concerns that have built up the place. He happih' combines shrewd business capacity with genuine 
public spirit, and, wherever his name has been mentioned, there has been the declaration that he would make an 
admirable mayor — strong as a candidate and safe as an official. The assurance that he will accept removes the 
only objection ever offered. Now let's take hold and nominate him. The caucus is called for the Rink for to- 
morrow night. Be there and vote for him. 

The same paper said after the election : 

The election of Mr. Brainard is a distinct and noteworthy triumph for good citizenship. He did not seek 
the nomination; it sought him. It sought him because of his fitness for the place and the occasion, and the result 
justifies the wisdom of the selection. His vote in the caucus was something any man might be proud of. His 
vote at the polls is equall)- complimentary. He has turned Hartford from seven hundred and seventy-nine 
Democratic to one thousand one hundred and nine Republican — a change of over one thousand eight hundred. 
Mr. Braiuard's personal conduct during the canvass has been on a par with his dignified attitude before it. He 
has flatly refused to buy votes. Traders found he wasn't their man. He relied on the people of Hartford, ready 
to be their mayor if they wanted him, ready to remain a private citizen, if they so voted. They have shown what 
they did want and have shown it unmistakably. This is a mighty good daj' for Hartford. 

Leverett Brainard was married in the year 1866, to Mary J., daughter of Hon. Eliphalet 
A. and Lydia (Morgan) Bulkeley. Mr. E. A. Bulkeley was the founder of the .55tna Life 
Insurance Company, and was a prominent factor in the upbuilding of Hartford a generation 
ago. Ex-Governor Morgan G. Bttlkeley, and Ex-Lieut. -Gov. William H. Bulkeley, are 
brothers of Mrs. Brainard. The family consisted of ten children, five sons and five daughters. 
Two onl\- of the sons are now living. 




x^ 



jlirCeitbfty P" 




OF CONNECT/CUT, 1S6/-1894. 259 



TII.KS, XORMAX CHARLES, of Middletown, a distinouishcd iiivonlor and 
manufacturer, and founder of the Stiles & Parker Press Company, was Ijorn 
on June iS, 1834, in tlie little village of Feeding Hills, Agawam, Mass. He 
traces his descent from one John Stiles, who came in 1635 (with three brothers) 
from his native place, Milbroke, Bedfordsliire, England, to Windsor, Conn., 
of which they were among the first settlers. His eldest son. Sergeant Henry, born in 
England, was a carpenter and builder — one of the " master workmen " emploved in build- 
ing the residence of Rev. Timo. E^dwards, first pastor of East Windsor, Conn., the house 
in which the great divine, Jonathan Edwards, was born. His eldest son, Henr)-, resided in 
Windsor. His fourth child, Jonah, born in 1700, removed to Westfield, Ma.ss., about 1730, 
and was the first of the Westfield (Mass.) Stiles line. His second son, (Eieut.) Gideon, 
born in 1731, was, during the Revolutionary period, a ven- prominent citizen of Westfield 
in all matters, political, military, civil, and ecclesiastical — always holding some position of 
trust in the town's affairs. His fifth child, Dorus, born in 1765, was a powder manu- 
facturer, and erected the first powder mill in the state of Massachusetts — "a man of extra- 
ordinary parts." His early education was scant, but he was a great reader, and remarkably 
conversant with history. He was a leading man in the town of Southwick, which he repre- 
sented in the state legislature three terms, and was thirteen times chosen selectman of his 
native town (W'estfield). Observant, thoughtful, quiet, almost taciturn, he was often called 
upon to arbitrate between neighbors, and was a " natural born lawyer." His eldest son 
was Henry Stiles, a farmer of good family connections and some means, who carried on, in 
addition to his regular occupation, the manufacture of whip-lashes, for which at that day 
there w^as a large sale. Henr>- Stiles married Sallie Avery of Southwick, Mass. His family 
consisted of eight children. Although a very worthy and industrious man, capable both as 
an agriculturist and manufacturer, misfortunes overtook him, and his straitened circumstances 
interfered with his design of giving his children a good education. TlKn- were, never- 
theless, duly instructed in the rudimentary branches, and being unusuallv bright were little, 
if any, behind their more fortunate associates and neighbors. 

Tlie subject of this sketch (the sixth child of Henry and Sally Stiles), began the actual 
work of life at an early age. His tastes were in the line of the mechanical arts, and even 
as a mere child he possessed decided genius in this direction. One of his earlier essays was 
upon an unused clock which fell in his way when he was but ten years old. Some defect 
in the works had stopped it, and it was deemed worthless. The boy's curiosity was aroused, 
and taking the clock apart he examined it carefully, found and remedied the defect, and 
with comparative ease restored the timepiece to good running order. Many boys who give 
evidence of genius are frequently charged with being idle and shiftless at first, from the 
fact that they have not yet got into their proper groove, and find effort in anv other not 
only distasteful but difficult. Young Stiles was never open to anv of these charges. He 
seemed to be constantly on the lookout for opportunities to be helpful and useful, and he 
was inlen.sely practical in whate\er he undertook to do. It is related of him, that when he 
was only twelve years old, he built an ell to his father's house, doing all the work un- 
aided, including designing, carpentrj- and painting, and making a perfect success of it. The 
range of his appreciation took in mechanical constmction from the most ponderous to the 
most delicate, and he studied with the greatest pleasure as well as care every machine, in- 
stniment or contrivance that he came across. Among his successful boyish constmctions 
may be named a miniature steam engine, a miniature fire engine, and a violin, all of 
which were marvels of accuracy, although made with the simplest tools. 



26o REPRESENTATIIE MEN 

In 1850, when sixteen 3'ears of age, lie went to IMeriden, Conn., and engaged with his 
brother, Doras A. Stiles, in the mannfacture of tinware. There was little in this occupa- 
tion to rivet the attention of his budding genius, and in a little while he gave it up to 
take a position in the American Alachine Works at Springfield, Mass., where he remained 
until he was of age, serving a full apprenticeship to the trade of machinist, and master- 
ing it in ever\- detail. After a brief service as a journeyman with a Mr. Osgood, who was 
a contractor for the Holyoke Machine Company, he returned to Meriden, Conn., and entered 
the shops of the Messrs. Snow, Brooks & Co., — now owned by Messrs. Parker Brothers — 
where he was employed in making dies and other fine work requiring great skill and in- 
genuity. He entered subsequently the employ of Messrs. Edward Aliller & Company, at 
Meriden, with whom he remained until 1857, when, having saved a little money, he deter- 
mined upon independent effort. He began bv hiring bench room from Mr. B. S. Stedman, 
a practical machinist at IMerideu, and soon afterward he bought out his stock and tools. 
In i860, he brought forward his first invention, known as a toe-and-instep stretcher, which 
immediately found favor with the boot and shoe manufacturers, and had a great success. 
Two j-ears later, in the midst of a great pressure of business, his factory was destroyed by 
fire, involving a heavy loss, from which, however, his energy and perseverance soon enabled 
him to recover. When he resumed business he had as a special partner, Mr. Alden Clark, 
but this gentleman retired shortly afterwards, disposing of his interest to his nephew, Mr. 
George L. Clark, who continued in association with Mr. Stiles until 1867, when the part- 
nership was dissolved. The business by this time had acquired proportions which rendered 
additional facilities imperative, and I\Ir. Stiles, after carefully examining the ground, con- 
cluded that it was advisable to transfer his works to Middletown, Conn. This transfer was 
effected in 1867, and, the results proving satisfactory, the works were permanently estab- 
lished at that place, where they now remain, and rank as one of the most important indus- 
tries of the state. 

One of ]\Ir. Stiles's principal inventions — indeed, the one upon which his chief fame as 
an inventor niav be said to rest — is his stamping and punching machine. To this machine, 
perfected b\' him, and first brought forward in 1S64, he added several valuable improve- 
ments previous to establishing his business at Middletown, among them being what is known 
technically as an " eccentric adjustment," which he patented in 1864. This "adjustment" 
gave his machine a decided advantage over all other punching machines then in use, an advan- 
tage which it stil] retains. Other manufacturers were not slow to perceive its value, and Messrs. 
Parker Brothers of Meriden, who were engaged in manufacturing a rival punching machine, 
known as "The Fowler Press," adopted !\Ir. Stiles's invention. Mr. Stiles claimed an in- 
fringement of his patent, and took the matter at once into court, and a long and expen- 
sive litigation followed. A compromise was finally reached by the consolidation of both firms, 
the new oi-ganization taking the name of The Stiles & Parker Press Company. The busi- 
ness of this company is practically controlled by Mr. Stiles, who is the largest owner of the 
stock, and who fills the dual position of treasurer and general manager; his second son, Mr. 
Edmund S. Stiles, being now the secretary and superintendent. Besides the presses named, 
the company manufactures dies, drop-hannners, and general sheet-metal tools, and also designs 
and constructs to order special machinery of every kind. As the directing and responsible 
head of the business, Mr. Stiles has displayed high intelligence, rare executive ability, and 
unflagging energy. Several years ago the business had reached such a development that 
additional facilities were required, and to meet the need a branch factory and office were 
established in the cit\- of New York. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S61-/S94. 261 

In 1873, Ml". Stiles took his inachinc and other inventions to the Vienna Exposition, 
whore they attracted marked attention with the resnlt of secnring a market in many foreign 
conntries. He was appointed state commissioner from Connecticut. This high compliment 
was sincerely appreciated h>- Mr. Stiles, but his position as an exhibitor preclnded his 
acceptance of the honor. At the International Centennial Exposition, held in Philadelphia 
in 1876, Mr. Stiles's acknowledged ability as an inventor, engineer and expert was again 
recognized by his official appointment as a member of the advisor\- committee to the board 
of commissioners, and his services in this capacity gave high satisfaction both at home and 
abroad. At the last great international exhibition held in Paris in 1S89, Mr. Stiles exhibited 
his invention, and it was awarded the gold medal of honor, the highest prize conferred. By 
steady advances the Stiles presses have made their way to every quarter of the globe, and are 
now in use not only in the navy yards and armories of the United States, but also in those of 
Germanv, .\ustria, Sweden, Turkey, Egypt, ^lexico and France. Other manufactures of 
the company have likewise secured a large foreign as well as domestic market. For some 
years Mr. Stiles has been a member of the United States Patent Association, which includes 
upon its roll the examiners in the government patent ofifice, solicitors of patents and inventors. 
He is one of the seven directors of this widely extended a.ssociation. 

Mr. Stiles occupies a leading position among the citizens of Middletown, not only by 
reason of his brilliant business success, and the importance of his large plant to the community, 
but through his hcart\- interest in everything appertaining to the welfare and advancement of 
the city and its inhabitants. His aid in the managemeul of the affairs of the municipality has 
been sought frequently and gi\en freely, and at the urgent request of his neighbors he has 
ser\-ed two terms in the Board of Aldermen. 

As the founder and head of one of the important industries of the countr\-, Mr. Stiles is 
entitled to stand among the leading manufacturers and business men of America, and bv reason 
of his uin-ivalled genius in the special field of its exercise, he will always occupy a prominent 
place among American in\entors. His upward progress from the modest position of a farmer's 
boy and machinist's apprentice to that of the head of a gieat manufacturing company, with 
a world-wide reputation as an inventor and business man, has been achieved by rare genius, 
iniflinching perseverance, earnest effort and high character, and affords a lesson to the a.spiring 
)-outh of the cotintn,- which is full of profit and stimulus. 

Mr. Stiles was married on March 23, 1864, to Miss Sarah M., daughter of Henr}- Smith, 
Esq., of Middletown. Both he and his excellent wife occupy a leading place in the social life 
of the city in which they reside, and they have a record of kindly and unostentatious usefulness 
which endears them to a large circle. They have three children. Dr. Henry R. Stiles, now 
of New York City, Mr. Edmund S. Stiles, associated with his father in business, and IMiss 
Milly B. Stiles, who is the efficient handmaid of her worthy mother in many noble acts of 
philanthropy. 



34 




262 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 



^ARNUM, PHINEAS TAYLOR, of Bridgeport, the world-renowned showman, 
and one of Connecticut's best known sons, was born in the town of Bethel, in 
that state, on July 5, 1810, and died at his home in Bridgeport, Conn., on 
April 7, 1 89 1. 

His father, Philo Barnum, was a son of Ephraim Barnum of Bethel, who 
was a captain in the American forces during the Revolution. Philo Barnum was a farmer 
who combined with his agricultural skill a mastery of the tailor's trade and a well developed 
commercial instinct. At times in his life he kept a country store and also an inn or tavern, 
but fortunes were few and far between in those days, and although he was a shrewd and 
industrious man, he left no propei'ty at his death, which occurred in 1825, when he was 
but forty-eight years old. The maiden name of the mother of the subject of this sketch 
was Irena Taylor, and from her father, Phineas Tajlor, of whom he was the first grand- 
child, the boy derived his name. Phineas Taylor Barnum, who was fifteen when his father 
died, was the eldest of the five orphaned children, the youngest being seven years of age. 
In his memoirs he says: "I was obliged to get trusted for the pair of shoes that I wore to 
my father's funeral. I literal!}' began the world with nothing, and was barefooted at that." 
Mrs. Barnum bore herself heroically under her heavy burden, and by economy, industr)' and 
perseverance, redeemed the homestead so that it remained in the family. 

Phineas early developed the love of trading, for which the people of Connecticut are so 
famous. He worked on the family farm considerably during boyhood and attended school 
as a matter of course when it was in session. His education was not given special atten- 
tion, yet he mastered the rudiments, and reading, travel, obsen-atiou and intercourse with 
all manner of people, brightened and increased his knowledge, so that even at an early period 
in his life he appeared to better advantage than many who had devoted years to study. He 
had in a superlative degree that power of adapting himself to people and to circumstances, 
and that ready wit which pre\-ents the intelligent New Englander feeling at a disadvantage 
in any company. Until he was eighteen he worked for others as occasion offered, but then, 
having saved a little money, he opened a store at Bethel. Combining with his mercantile 
pursuits the agency for a lottery chartered by the state for building the Groton monument, 
he prospered so well that he built a larger store and attempted business on a broader scale. 
The credit system, then so largely in vogue, killed this enterprise in a ven,' short time and 
forced him to adopt other means of livelihood. He was but nineteen years old when he 
married a young lady of about his own age, the daughter of worthy parents living in the 
neighborhood of his birthplace. 

His manliness and versatility also were exemplified in a remarkable degree in 1831, 
when he entered upon an editorial career which, though short, was brilliant in the extreme 
and full of incident. He was led to this step by the refusal of a Danbury newspaper to 
print several of his contributions. Purchasing a font of type he founded a small printing 
office from which, on Oct. 19, of the year named, he issued the initial number of his own 
paper, The Herald of Freedom. In its columns he attacked fearlessh- whatever he felt was 
an abuse. The consequence of his youthful intrepidity was a crop of libel suits, and finally, 
upon conviction in one of them, imprisonment in the local jail for si.Kty days. The people, 
however, greatly admired his honesty and courage, and proved their appreciation by giving 
him a magnificent ovation at the expiration of his term, conducting him in a coach drawn 
by six horses and preceded by a band of nmsic through the public thoroughfares, and every- 
where greeting him with loud and oft-repeated huzzas. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 263 

In 1834, finding his property dwindling to small proportions, Mr. Barnnm left Bridge- 
port for New York, hoping to better his fortnnes. In the following year he attended an 
exhibition in riiiladcljihia where he saw a colored slave woman named Joyce Heth, advertised 
as "the nnrse of George Washington, one hnndred and sixt\'-one i,ears old." Instantly 
perceiving the show valnc of this wondevfnl old woman, he bonght her from her owners for 
$1,000, and, advertising her with mar\cllons tact and shrewdness, soon had an income of as 
high as $1,500 a week. Tims began his long career as a showman. Por some years he 
traveled with small shows in the sonthern states, bnt in 1841 returned to New York about 
as poor as he ever was in his life. .\t that time vScudder's American Museum, which had 
cost its founder $50,000, was for .sale, the heirs asking $15,000 for it. The New York 
Museum Company was contemplating its purchase when Mr. Karnum came upon the field. 
He saw the opportun"ity and by a brilliant stroke grasped it, purchasing the collection on 
credit for $12,000. By means of clever advertising, he kept his name and the attractions of 
the show he had purchased constantly before the public, and Barnum's American Museum 
soon became known from one end of the country to the other. Situated at the corner of 
Broadway and Ann street, on the site now occupied by the Nezv York Herald building, it 
l)ecame a Mecca towards which every intelligent traveler bent his steps upon arri\-ing in the 
metropolis, and the crop of quarter-dollars reaped b}^ its enterprising proprietor and manager 
mounted away up into the millions. 

It was in 1842 that Mr. Barnuin brought forward Charles S. Stratton, of Bridgeport, 
Conn., then le.ss than two feet high and weighing only si.xteen pounds. This little gentle- 
man, to whom 'Wr. Barntim gave the happy title of "Gen. Tom Thumb," was exhibited 
in the I'nited .Stales and Europe with great success, appearing before many of the crowned 
heads, and everywhere exciting unbounded curiosity and receiving the most distinguished 
courtesies, in which Mr. Barnum participated, on all occasions. In i86g, he made a tour 
around the world with the little general. In 1849, Mr. Barnum entered into a contract with 
Jenny Lind, "the Swedish nightingale," for one hundred and fifty concerts in America, 
agreeing to pay her one thousand dollars for each. Her appearance at Castle Garden, then 
a hall devoted to public entertainments, created the wildest excitement, anl the tickets for 
the first performance were sold at auction at large prices. Altogether but ninety-five concerts 
were given, yet the gross receipts amounted to about three-quarters of a million dollars, of 
which Mr. Barnum's share was considerable. 

Mr. Barnum was contiiuially surprising the public. He catered to the millions and from 
them drew a rich harvest of quarter-dollar pieces. At no other place in the United States 
cc)uld so much be seen for the money as at his nniseum. By degrees he made it a great 
public educator, and also an agent of moral reform, for the entertainments given in the 
lecture room at every performance were not only amusing but instructive and edif\iug. This 
lecture room, at first but a small chamber, was gradually enlarged until it was capable of 
seating three thousand people. Many actors, subsequently very distinguished, made their 
early appearance on the stage of this hall. A few years after acquiring the American 
INIuseum, Mr. Barnum bought Peale's Museum, the only rival he had, and consolidated it 
with his own. This great and valuable collection was destroyed by fire on July 13, 1S65. 
Although then fifty-five years of age and sorely tempted to try retirement, Mr. Barnum con- 
cluded to rebuild and open another museum, consideration for his one hundred and fifty 
employees being an active factor in his resolve. The new museum was equally as successful 
as the old, but it, too, was destroyed by fire on the night of March 3, 186S. 

In the spring of 1871, he established a great traveling nuiseum and menagerie, introduc- 
ing rare equestrian and athletic performances, to which, after the addition of an excellent 



264 REPRESENTATH-E MEN 

representation of the ancient Roman hippodrome, the gigantic elephant, Jumbo, and other 
novelties, he gave the name of "P. T. Barmim's Greatest Show on Earth." This show 
opened at Fourteenth street. New York, in November, 1872. Its popularity was assured 
from the beginning and increased every year. This remarkable show was even taken abroad, 
where its success was astounding. Its proprietor and founder became as well known in 
Europe as in America. The great " Olympia " building, situated six miles from the centre 
of the city of London, could scarcely seat one-half the number of applicants who came everj^ 
day. Two and a half millions in all paid admission fees during the short season. Before 
his death Mr. Barnum entered into an agreement with his equal partner in this show, Mr. 
A. J. Bailey, that in the event of the death of either, the sur\ivor should continue the ex- 
hibition. This covenant was faithfully carried out by ilr. Bailey, and not only is the show 
conducted with all its old-time features and many new ones, but Mr. Barnum's name 
remains connected with it, and his portraits are to be found in the shop windows wherever 
it appears. 

I\Ir. Barnum was one of the most moral of men. In early life he occasionally drank 
wine, but when, through acquaintance with the world, he saw the dreadful effects of in- 
toxicating beverages, he iinhesitatingly became an adv-ocate of temperance. He began his 
appearances as a lecturer in the summer of 1866, delivering, with fine effect, a discourse 
entitled "Success in Life." Every penny received by him from this and all his other public 
lectures he devoted to charity. His tour was an ovation. In 1869, he began to lecture 
on temperance, and met with the same brilliant success. In fact, whatever he attempted iu 
the way of a public performance was certain to terminate successfully, yet he was the vic- 
tim of many heav}' losses, for apart from the crushing blows he received through fires, which 
destroyed several of his museums, and his magnificent palace, Iranistan, at Bridgeport, he 
sank over a million dollars in 1S56-57, through confidence in the representations of a large 
manufacturing company. The energ-^- of the man could not be crushed, and, backed by his 
splendid credit, enabled him to rebuild his fortunes in every instance with gxeat rapidit\'. 
Mr. Barnum became prominently and permanently identified with Bridgeport in 1846, when 
he built there an oriental villa, to which he gave the Persian name of "Iranistan." He 
expended large sums of money in improving and beautifying the city, built miles of streets, 
and planted thousands of trees ; he encouraged budding manufactures, and made extensive 
public donations, including public parks, worth upwards of one hundred and fifty thousand 
dollars. Institutions of learning, churches, hospitals, and art galleries received from him 
thousands of dollars, in many cases superb buildings well equipped for the purposes for 
which they were intended. His donations to charitable and educational institutions alone 
would foot up a fortune. 

In earlv life Mr. Barnum was a Democrat of the old school, and he conducted The 
Herald of Freedom as a Jacksonian Democratic journal. His vigorous personalitv made such 
an impression upon the politicians that in 1852 or 1853, they urged him to accept the 
party nomination for governor. As his business at that time frequently paid him as much 
in a day as the salar\' of the governor would amount to in a year, he respectfully declined 
the honor. When the treasonable intentions of the southern states became apparent in i860, 
he joined the Republican party, with which he acted until his death. He gave loyal support 
to the Federal government all through the war period, and, while too old to take up arms, 
sent four substitutes to represent him in the field. He rejoiced at the downfall of slavery, 
and in the spring of 1865 accepted a nomination to the, Connecticut legislature from the 
town of Fairfield, in order that he might have the honor of voting for the proposed con- 
stitutional amendment abolishing slavery forever, and of supporting an amendment to the 






/^^TT^y^^^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, i86i-iSi)4. 265 

state constitution "to allow men of edncation and of good moral character to vote, regardless 
of the color of their skins." In 1S66, he was appointed by Governor Hawley a commis- 
sioner to the Paris exposition, but declined. In the .spring of 1867, he was nominated for 
Congress. In that year the state went Democratic, and few, if any, Republicans were elected. 
Mr. Barnum served four years in tlie state legislature, and during that time placed him- 
self on record as the unconquerable foe of corrupt railway companies and officials, and 
the unfailing friend of every movement for the welfare and impro\-ement of hnmanitv. 

On the 5th of April, 1875, he was elected mayor of the city of Bridgeport by a majority 
of several hnndred, although the place was known as a Democratic stronghold. He gave 
a pure and honest administration of this ofKce, and left it with the best wishes of all. 
Dxiring the forty years he resided in Bridgeport he was unremitting in his efforts to 
advance the city's welfare, and well deserved the name of public benefactor. He was for 
several years president of the Bridgeport Hospital, and one of its chief supports. By means 
of a fund established by him, two gold medals are annually awarded in the Bridgeport 
high school for English orations. As an author Mr. Barnnni is well-known to fame through 
his " Autobiography," thousands of which have been sold, and by a work entitled " Hum- 
bugs of the World," and a story entitled " Lion Jack." He had a great sense of 
humor, and whatever he wrote was mo.st easy and agi-eeable reading. His self-possession 
was one of his most remarkable traits. Nothing was able to ruffle it. He always had his 
wits about him, and whether in the presence of European royalty or the sovereigns of 
America, was invariably at ease and master of the situation. 

Mr. Barnnni was twice married. His first wife, Mrs. Charity Barnum, the esteemed 
partner of his joys and struggles for forty years, died Nov. 19, 1873. In the autumn of 
1874, he married the daughter of his worthy English friend, John Fish, Esq., who sur- 
vives him. For many years ]Mr. Barnum maintained a splendid home in F'ifth Avenue, 
New- York city. But he seemed to l)e too large a man to be claimed by any one city, 
however great, and was rather looked upon as a national, indeed it might be said, an 
international character. His death was a source of real grief to hundreds of thousands, 
especially to the great world of children, as whose steadfast friend he was particularly 
proud of being known. No higher compliment has ever been paid to a citizen of the 
United States than that found in an editorial published in the Nc-a< York Sun years ago, 
in which, after alluding to Mr. Barnum's "breadth of views, profound knowledge of man- 
kind, courage under reverses, indomitable perseverance, ready eloquence and admirable busi- 
ness tact," the writer closed his remarks by saying: "More than almost any other living 
man, Barnum may be said to be a representative type of the .\nierican mind." 




I 



ROWNE, JOHN D., of Hartford, president Connecticut Fire Insurance Companv, 
was born in the town of Plainfield, Windham County, Conn., in 1S36. The 
old homestead first occupied by his great-great-grandfather is still in the family, 
and now occupied by an elder brother. 

Mr. Browne comes of long-lived, hardy, Puritan and Rcvolutionar>' stock — 
the kind which broke up the nigged soil, built the public highways and the .school houses and 
churches, and fought the battles for liberty and independence. His grandfather, John Browne, 
enlisted as a musician in the patriot ann\ in 1776, serving with two of his brothers through the 
long and trying period of the war, and was promoted while in service to the position of fife 
major of his regiment. His father, Gurdon Perkins Browne, was a h.u(l-W( irking farmer who 



266 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

reared his family in habits of industry and frugality, and did not forget to inculcate b)- precept 
and example those principles of robust morality and patriotism in which he had himself been 
trained. He was also a school teacher of considerable celebrity and for more than thiily years 
taught the winter term of the district school. He was an ardent Democrat of the old school, 
always performing his duties as a patriotic citizen, and voting at ever}- election in his town until 
the ver\' close of his long life, d\-ing at the advanced age of eightv-three years. ;\Ir. Browne's 
mother was a woman of rare qualities, deeply solicitous for the intellectual and spiritual 
culture of her children and earnestly devoted to her family. She died at the age of eighty- 
seven. 

Mr. Browne's youthful life was devoted to the farm and the district school, and at the 
age of nineteen he taught one of the schools of his native town. But the duties of a school 
teacher were not congenial as a life-work ; and having, in 1855, made a visit to the then 
far-off territory of Minnesota, he made a second journey thither in the spring of 1S57, and 
located in Minneapolis. He was for two years connected with the Minneapolis ]\Iill Company, 
and aided in the development and improvement of the magnificent water-power at that point. 
Afterwards he went to Little Falls, then a small hamlet located about a hundred and twenty- 
five miles north of vSt. Paul, where he spent a year as secretar\- and agent of the Little Falls 
Manufacturing Company, engaged in de\eloping the water power there by the construction 
of a dam across the Mississippi. 

While in Minnesota, Mr. Browne was activeh' prominent in local and state politics, aided 
in organizing the Republican party in Minnesota, and held intimate relations with the domi- 
nant party at the national capital throughout the administration of President Lincoln, for 
Avhose election he had been an enthusiastic and effective worker. He was often a delegate to 
county and state con\entions, and was elected an alternate delegate to the national con- 
vention which nominated Mr. Lincoln. His Republicanism was known to be of the most pro- 
nounced type, and his political activity and enthusiasm constituted him an important factor 
ill the councils of his party throughout the greater portion of the period of eight years over 
which his I'esidence in Minnescjta extended. 

At the close of the presidential campaign, in the autumn of 1S60, he was elected mes- 
senger to take the first electoral vote of Minnesota to Washington, in which city he remained 
during the succeeding winter, having been appointed to a desk, emliracing suspended land titlesi 
in the interior department at the capitol under Jo. Wilson, then commissioner of the general 
land office. He returned to Minnesota in the spring of 1861, and for four 3'ears, during 
Lincoln's administration, was chief clerk in the office of the surveyor general of public lands 
at St. Paul, to which city the office had been recenth' remo\-ed from Detroit. 

In 1865, I\Ir. Browne returned East, and soon afterward entered upon insurance work, 
in 1867 becoming permanently connected with the Hartfoi'd Fire Insurance Company as its 
general agent and adjuster. In 1870, he was elected secretary of that company, in the duties 
of which office he was engaged for ten years, until called to the presidency of the Connecticut 
Fire Insurance Company in 1880. Under his conser\-ative administration the Connecticut has 
reached high rank among the solid and prosperous business and financial institutions in this 
great insurance center. The premium income of The Connecticut, as shown by the annual 
statement Jan. i, 1880, was $399,348, and the assets, $1,483,480. The premium income for 
the year ending Jan. i, 1S94, was $1,630,731, and the assets, $2,831,088. During this period 
the company never failed to pay its regular semi-annual dividend, amounting in the aggregate 
to $1,200,000. The unique home office building, standing on the corner of Prospect and 
Grove streets, is due largely to his efforts to secure for the company a suitable and permanent 
home for the transaction of its lar^e and increasing business. 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6/-/S(j4. 267 

111 late years, with characteristic independence of thought and action, Mr. Browne has held 
slack allegiance to the Republican party, earnestly advocating the election of Mr. Cleveland 
and indorsing the policy of his administration. He sustains official relations with various 
business and social organizations in Hartford. He is a director in the Phoenix Mutual Life 
Insurance Company, the National Exchange Bank, the Hartford Board of Trade, the Board of 
United Charities, the Humane Society and the Connecticut State Prison Association. He 
is also a member of the Connecticut Historical Society and of the Sons of the American 
Revolution. 

J. D. Browne was married Oct. 23, 1861, to Miss Frances Cleveland, daughter of Luther 
Cleveland, Esq., of Plaiufield. She died Dec. 25, 1893, leaving two daughters, Alice Cleve- 
land Browne and Mrginia Frances Browne, the elder being the wife of Francis R. Cooley, 
sou of Hon. V. B. Cooley of this citv- 




PP:RRY, Xl<:HP;^nAn D., of New Haven, postmaster of that city for more 
than a quarter of a century, and ex-secretary of state of Connecticut, was born 
at Woodbridge, New Haven County, Conn., on July 10, 1827. 

He is of Puritan ancestry, being in direct line of descent from Richard 
Speny, one of the early settlers of New F^ngland, and who, as a member of 
the New Haven colony, received a grant of land a little west of the cit\' limits near the 
"Judges' Cave" on the slope of We.st Rock, so-called from its having been for a time the 
hiding place and shelter of the "regicide" judges — Generals Goffe and Whalley, and Colonel 
Dixwell of Cromwell's army, who condemned Charles I., and, after the restoration, fled to 
America, where they were cared for by their friends in Massachusetts and Connecticut, 
prominent among whom was Richard Sperry, who became somewhat famous through his 
brave and generous devotion to these fugitives. 

The subject of this sketch is the third son of Kuoch and Atlanta Sperry. His father was 
a farmer and manufacturer of some means and of excellent repute, who transmitted to his 
offspring the best qualities of the sturdy Puritan stock from which he sprang. Young Sperry 
was educated in the public schools of his native place, and spent one year at Prof. Amos 
Smith's private school at New Haven. Being not only a diligent student and an assiduous 
reader, but also painstaking and observing, he made rapid progress in his studies and proved 
more than the equal of many lads who enjoyed greater advantages. As a youth he developed 
remarkable self-reliance and great independence of character, and at a time of life when many 
are still groping blindly along the thorny paths of knowledge he, as an instructor, was 
communicating to others what he had learned and with laudable ambition was steadily adding 
at the same time to his own acquirements. By his labors as a teacher, and also through his 
connection with his father's business, he was enabled to save several hundred dollars ; and 
with this small capital at his command he entered upon a very successful business career in 
New Haven as the junior member of the building firm of Smith & Sperry, founded in 1848. 
From the first he displayed an unusual energy in his calling, and soon became one of the best 
known business men of the " Elm City." His activities were not limited to any special line 
of operations, but embraced a number of very important and original impro\cments of a public 
character. He was one of the chief organizers of a company for constructing and operating 
the horse railroad connecting New Haven with Fairhaven and Westville, and as its president 
for ten years directed and managed its affairs with rare energ\- and discretion. Through his 



268 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

direct personal efforts, during this period, much legislation in Connecticut favorable to horse 
railroads was secured. He was interested also in steam railroads, and served for several 
years as a director in the New Haven &; Derby and New England &. Erie Railroad com- 
panies. He was a director, likewise, in the Highland Suspension Bridge Company. It may 
be said that no enterprise of any magnitude affecting the city's interests, present or prospective, 
has failed to secure his hearty cooperation and assistance, direct or indirect. 

From the day he polled his first vote, Mr. Sperry has taken an active and intelligent 
interest in political affairs, local, state and national. Previously a Whig, he became connected 
with the American party upon its formation, and in 1854, was its principal leader in Con- 
necticut, altliough then one of its youngest members. In 1855, he was a delegate from 
Connecticut to the national convention of the American party held in Philadelphia, and was 
appointed a member of the committee on resolutions. As such he vigorously opposed the 
incorporation of pro-slavery planks in the platform, as false in logic and vicious in principle; 
and when they were adopted he unceremoniously bolted the con\ention. This decided stand 
for principle made him \ery popular with his party in the North, particularly in Connecticut, 
where his al^ility as a political leader also was well known, and his nomination for the office 
of governor of that state was only checked in the state convention of 1855, when it was 
remembered that he fell short several years of the constitutional age for that oflSce. As this 
age limit did not extend to the office of secretary of state he was nominated for that position 
and was elected. A year later he was nominated and reelected. In 1856, while serving as 
.secretary of state, he was a member of the national convention of the American party, held 
at Philadelphia, which placed Ex-President Fillmore at the head of its ticket. Here again 
he vigorouslv opposed the resolutions adopted to .secure the .Southern \ote and declined to 
support the nominees. 

Together with manv others of the party who held views in consonance with his own, he 
attended the first national convention of the newly-formed Republican party, which was held 
in New York city in the same year, and gave his warm support to the candidacy of General 
Fremont, for whose election he labored with extraordinary energy during the ensuing campaign. 
Chosen chairman of the state Republican committee, at the beginning of this campaign, 
he filled this position during the critical period preceding the Civil War and also during its 
continuance. In the state campaign of i860, he played a most important part, exhibiting rare 
qualities as a leader and manager, and carrying the election of Governor Buckingham, thus 
swinging Connecticut into the Republican line for Abraham Lincoln. In 1861, President 
Lincoln appointed him postmaster of New Haven. In 1864, he was a member of the Repub- 
lican national convention, held at Baltimore, which re-nominated Lincoln for the presidency, 
and at that time was a member and the secretary of the national Republican committee. He 
was one of the seven persons selected by the national committee to conduct the campaign of 
1864, and was chosen its secretary. Throughout the period of the War of the Rebellion he 
gave his best ser\'ices to the Union cause, and to his able and unceasing efforts in Connecticut 
the govennnent is greath- indebted. In 1868, he presided over the state convention which 
nominated the electors who voted for General Grant for President. 

His political activity, since 1868, has been in no degree inferior to what it was during the 
years preceding, and has earned for him a national reputation. Soon after the beginning of 
President Cleveland's administration, Mr. Speny's place as postmaster of New Haven was 
sought by prominent Democrats, and its incumbent was removed on purely political grounds. 
He was restored to office by President Harrison early in 1889, on a petition extensively signed, 
without regard to party, asking him to become a candidate. The postmastership of New 
Haven is a position of great weight and responsibilit\-, and the office itself holds the first rank 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-/S94. 269 

in the state and rates amoiisi; the chief in the United States. It is a matter of record, and is 
so held by tlie general pnblic, that Mr. Sperry's administration of its dnties left nothing to be 
desired. The honest and diligent manner in which he discharged the business of the office 
gave universal satisfaction, and, together with the many improvements introdnced by him and 
carried forward snccessfnlly, indicate uncommon ability as an executive and manager. Not 
the least of these improvements was the assorting of mails to the various stations in New York 
cit\' which resulted in saving many hours in delivery. ( )n numerous occasions i\Ir. Sperry 
has been highh' com])]inicuted 1)\' the authorities at Washington, and, in 1866, Postmaster- 
General A. W. Randall named him as one of a select connnission of distinguished experts to 
visit European countries and inspect and report to the department upon the foreign mail 
systems. Although the acceptance of this appointment would not have made necessary his 
resignation as postmaster of New Haven, he felt compelled, for personal rea.sons, to decline it. 
During the later years of his incumbency Mr. Sperry enjoyed the miique distinction of being 
one of the oldest postmasters by presidential appointment in the United States, and it is 
worthy of note that he held his connnission in a city and town which his ancestors helped to 
found nearly two and a half centuries previous to the date of its issuance. Mr. Sperr}- resigned 
the office of postmaster of New Haven on April 15, 1885, after an incumbency of twenty- four 
years. As an evidence of their high appreciation of his eminent services, his fellow citizens 
without regard to party, gave him a complimentary banquet shortly afterward at the Hyperion 
Theatre, the largest auditorium in the city. This banquet was one of the most notable 
ever given in the state, and no other citizen has received a more spontaneous and hearty 
tribute, either before or since, in the city of New Ha\en. 

No man is more profoundly interested in the welfare of New Haven, and few, if any, 
have deserved more highly by their consistent and persistent efforts in its behalf to rank 
among its worthies. No man is better known in the city, and, probably, no one has a greater 
number of personal friends. A strong supporter of the American system of public schools, 
he is deeply concerned in preserxing them as they have been handed down by their patriotic 
and enlightened founders, that is, on a Christian basis. A victory of which he is as proud 
as any other achievement in his eventful life was won by him in 1878, when he vigorously 
attacked the action of the New Haven board of edtication which, by the vote of a majority 
of its members, had ordered the discontinuance of the reading of the Bible in the pnblic 
schools of the city. Taking the logical ground that the Bible, being the moral code, taught 
the young a clear idea between right and wrong, Mr. Sperry made an appeal to the general 
pnblic against the course adopted by those in charge of the work of education. His vigorous 
oppo.sition and logical arguments in favor of the Bible, voiced in many of the leading 
churches in New Haven, arou.sed a sentiment which, still further stinuilated by his fervid 
utterances in the press, speedily caused a revocation of the obnoxious order, and it was 
rescinded by a vote of three to one, with the hearty approval of the entire Christian connnnnity, 
Protestants and Catholics alike. Although given special prominence, this incident is but one 
of many instances in which he has stood up, sometimes alone, but always undaunted and 
undismayed, and fought nobly for principle and that which he holds sacred. It suffices to 
show the stamp of the man and explains the high esteem in which he is held by all. It is 
proper to state here that Mr. Sperrj's views in regard to the education of the young have 
never been those of a fanatic or bigot. He is a finn beliexer in the separation of church and 
state, and is oi)po.scd to all sectarianism in connection with the public school svstcm. hold- 
ing that this {Mj.sition is the only one tenable by an American citizen. 

Mr. Sperry has served his fellow-citizens honorably and faithfully in several elective pub- 
lic offices. He has been a councilman and alderman of the city, and also one of the select- 

35 



270 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

men of the town of New Haven. In 1886, he was nominated by the RepubHcans in his 
district as their candidate for Congress. The circumstances at the time were such that he 
could have been elected, but, for private reasons, he declined the honor, to the regret of all 
the members of the convention. In 1888, he was a delegate to the Republican national 
convention which nominated Benjamin Harrison for the presidency, and was a member of 
the committee on platform. As a public speaker and debater, Mr. Sperry possesses a won- 
derful power to move and influence his auditors. His voice has been heard upon the plat- 
form for years, and few men have equal tact and force in placing facts before an audience. 
He is one of the strongest advocates of "Protection, " in the Republican ranks, and. his 
voice has been heard with no uncertain effect upon this vital topic on numerous occasions. 
In the debate before the Connecticut State Grange in 1887, the subject being " Wherein 
does Protection benefit Agriculture ? " he was one of the two orators selected by the National 
Protective League to answer for " Protection." The " Free Traders " selected as their spokes- 
men, Messrs. Wells, Sumner and J. B. Sargent; but the last named only appeared. In the 
absence of his colleague, Professor Denslow of New York, Mr. Sperry was likewise left un- 
supported. On this occasion he achieved a decided victory over his opponent, so much so 
that the Free Trade paper admitted the fact. His success was a signal one, as the result 
in the farming district showed in the election held a }-ear later. Mr. Sperry also appeared 
before the General Assembly of Connecticut in 1888, and discussed "Protection" with a 
committee of that body. Even his opponents admitted that he made the best defence they 
ever listened to ; and the result of the vote in the legislature justified the remarks. During 
the presidential canvass in 1S88, a challenge was sent out by the Tariff Reform Club, (Demo- 
cratic) of New Haven, to the Republicans to debate the ":\Iills Bill." The "Protectionists" 
accepted the challenge, and l\Ir. Sperry was selected by their unanimous vote to present 
their case. It was a high compliment to Mr. Sperry's power, but it was well deserved. 

]\Ir. Sperry has been several times a delegate to the National Board of Trade, and on 
each occasion made a powerful impression upon that body. For years he has taken a decided 
part in favor of the old town government system, instituted by the founders of the com- 
monwealth. His speech before the committee of the Common Council of New Haven on 
this subject was one that will long be remembered. In 1887, he was selected by Senators 
Piatt and Hawley and others to write an article on " The Advantages of Protection," for 
the Christian Secretary^ a paper published in the city of Hartford, in reph- to a Free Trade 
article in the same paper, by Prof. W. G. Sumner. :\Ir. Sperry's article covered a whole 
page of the paper, and excited such wide spread interest that four hundred thousand copies 
were published to meet the immediate demand, and a large edition in pamphlet form was 
afterwards published and broadly circulated. The Neio York Tribune and other leading journals 
pronounced it one of the strongest as well as one of the ablest papers on the question 6i 
"Practical Protection" ever published. Mr. Sperr>' delivered the address at the national 
postal convention held at Alexandria Bay on Sept. 8, 1891. The address was to have been 
delivered by Col. S. A. Whitfield, first a.ssistant postmaster-general of the United States, 
or by Hon. James E. White, general superintendent of the railroad mail service, but as neither 
of these gentlemen could attend, Mr. Sperry was telegraphed for to supply their place. With 
his usual courtesy he responded to the invitation in person, and his address, which was 
published largely throughout the country, was one of the chief features of the convention. 
As a business man Mr. Sperry has been very successful. He is a member of the well- 
known firm of Smith, Sperry- & Treat of New Haven, contractors and buildei-s, who have 
constructed some of the most palatial residences and largest factories in the city. In social 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-/8(^4. 271 

life he is very popular, and is connected officially and otherwise with a number of the princi- 
pal local organizations. Of one of these, the Qninnipiack Club, probably the oldest in the 
cit\-, he has been president for twelve years or more. 

N. D. Sperry was married in 1847, to Miss Eliza H., daughter of Willis and Catherine 
Sperr>- of Woodhridge. This estimable lady died in 1873. His present wife, to whom he 
was united in 1S75, was formerly Miss Minnie Newton, whose parents, Erastus and Caroline 
Newton, were highly respected residents of Lockport, X. V., where the young lady herself 
was born. 




;iLC()X, HORACE CORNWALL, of Meriden, president of the Meriden Britannia 
Companx-, of the Wilcox & White Organ Company, and other corporations, 
was born in Middletown, Jan. 26, 1824. He passed on to his reward Aug. 
27, 1890, the fatal power of paralysis cutting short his life, seemingly at the 
very height of its usefulness. 
The family of Wilcox is of Saxon origin, and was seated at Bury St. Edmonds, in the 
county of Suffolk, Eng., before the Norman conquest. Sir John Dugdale, in his "\'isitation 
of the County of Suffolk," mentions fifteen generations previous to 1600. The arms of the 
family are: per fesse, or and as., a fesse, gules, over all a lion rampant, countercharged. 
Crest : a demi-lion rampant, as. The lion rampant indicates that he to whom the arms 
were granted had gained a victory whilst in command of an army. lu the reign of King 
Edward Third and the kings who followed, the name Wilcox occurs frequently in connection 
with men of high degree. The Connecticut branch of the family is traced to John Wilcox, 
who is known to have been an original proprietor of land in Hartford in 1639. His son 
John, boru in England, was the father of Ephraim and by successive generations through 
John aud Joseph, to Elisha B. Wilcox, who was boru in 1795 and died in 1881. 

Horace C. was the son of Elisha B. aud Hepsibah (Cornwall) Wilcox of Middletown. 
The ordinary duties of a farmer's boy filled his life until he reached the age of twentv, in 
the meantime obtaining such an education as one could get in the public schools of his 
native town. The year before he attained his majority, he commenced his career in the 
somewhat prosaic business of peddling tinware. The pecuniary basis of his later fortune 
consisted of three dollars, ever>- cent of which was borrowed. His more immediate capital, 
however, was a strong will, a clear and vigorous brain, and a hopeful disposition. This 
extended his acquaintance, and the possibilities of the new business of manufacturing 
Britannia ware was brought to his attention. Coming to Meriden, he first sold goods made 
by James Frary, and his success was such that finally he supplied Mr. Frar>' with stock aud 
took all he could produce. Widening his operations, he also handled ware made by William 
Lyman and John Munson of Wallingford, and I. C. Lewis & Company of Meriden. About 
this time, he took his brother Dennis into partnership, under the firm name of H. C. Wilcox 
& Company. This connection lasted until 1.S52, when the conception of a combination of 
interests occurred to Mr. Wilcox, which he proceeded to put into execution. The 
concentration of rival interests is going on continually at the present time, but then the 
idea was new and untried. Through his efforts, after a friendly deliberation, the entire 
Britannia trade of the city formed itself into what is now known as the Meriden Britannia 
Company. The incorporators were H. C. Wilcox, Isaac C. Lewis, Dennis C. Wilcox, James 
A. Frary, Lenniel J. Curtis, W. W. Lyman and John Munson. Mr. Isaac C. Lewis was 



272 



REPRESEXTA Til 'E MEN 



chosen president, and Mr. H. C. Wilcox secretary and treasurer. His previous experience 
had in a measure fitted him for the responsibilities of the new position, and Mr. Wilcox 
entered upon his duties with enthusiasm. In 1866, ]\Ir. Lewis declined to serve longer as 
president, and Wx. Wilcox was made the head of the growing concern. This office he filled 
until his death, being a period of twenty-four years. His administration was, as might 
readilv be supposed, energetic and full of push. Building wisely on the foundation he had 
helped to lay, he secured a mercantile success not often paralleled in the business world. 
From a single frame building in 1852, by successive accessions, immense brick structures 
have been erected, until the various factories, together, have the floor space of over ten 
acres, or about 425,000 sqvuire feet. The original capital of $50,000 has been increased to 
$1,100,000, and besides the company has over $20,000,000 invested. The Meriden Britan- 
nia Company is the largest of its kind in the world. To all this development and to all 
the exceptional success attained, Mr. Wilcox contributed his full .share. His faculty for hard 
Avork and his rare executive powers well qualified him to be the head of such an extensive 
enterprise. At his death, Mr. Lewis was again chosen to the presidency, which position he 
retained until his death in 1893, when Mr. George H. Wilcox, who had been secretary of 
the companv for several years, was elected to assume the office and with it the cares and 
responsibilities which his father had borne for a quarter of a century. 

Extended as were the operations of the ]\Ieriden Britannia Company, Mr. Wilcox did not 
confine all his talents to its management. Appreciating the nmsical -and mechanical qualifica- 
tions of his kinsman, Mr. H. K. White, he entered into a partnership under the name of The 
Wilcox &; White Organ Company, for the purpose of manufacturing organs. They began 
on a somewhat larger proportionate scale than Mr. Wilcox's first efforts, but here again he 
assisted in building up one of IMeriden's largest industries. When the business was organized 
on a stock company basis, he was chosen president and held the office until his decease, in 1890. 

There seemed to be absolutely nothing which affected the welfare of the city of his adop- 
tion, in which I\Ir. Wilcox was not interested. The extension of its railroad facilities was 
almost a hobby with him. It was through his exertions in the early eighties that the iMeriden 
and Cromwell railroad was built, and by it ]Meriden gained direct tide water communication. 
Later, the road was extended to Waterbun', and the name changed to the Meriden, Waterbury 
& Connecticut River Railroad. The city owes him a heavy debt for this piece of work alone, 
if he had done nothing else to advance its development. Elected first president of the road, 
his tenure of office was only cut short by his death. 

Meriden responded nobly when the call was made for troops on the breaking out of the 
Rebellion. To providing for the wants of the citizen soldiery, many of whom were his own 
emplovees, Mr. Wilcox gave liberally of his time and money. His efforts to aid the success 
of the Union cause lasted until the surrender at Appomattox. Public official station was not 
to Mr. Wilcox's taste ; but having assisted in securing the incorporation of Meriden as a city, 
he allowed himself to be elected mayor, and served during the \-ear 1875-76, showing that 
he was as capable of managing a city as he was of controlling an immense manufacturing 
corporation. 

The leading traits of Mr. Wilcox's character were his indomitable energy and his 
unwavering perseverance. Starting with a borrowed capital of three dollars, by his own 
unaided exertions he accunuilated a large property. The various enterprises with which he 
has been connected are to-day monuments to his sagacity and shrewd management. To the 
ver)- last he presented abundant evidence of having perseveringly and judiciously developed 
his splendid natural abilities, both mental and physical. It has been truthfully said of him, 
that, "Being a gentleman of tremendous energy, clear foresight and great quickness of 



OF CONNECTICUT, /S61-1894. 273 

jutlfjinent, he occupied his xarious honorable and important offices witli nnich acceptability 
to all concerned therewilh.'" In the afternoon of his existence he was able to regard his 
career with satisfaction and eqnaniniity. The promise of a long and happy evening to his 
life was shortened by the power of insidious disease. A single sentence from a mention of 
his death in the leading journal of the jewelry trade will show the estimation in which he 
was held by his contemporaries. The paper said : " The king of the silverware trade is 
dead." Success is a result of the skilled use of means and the powers of nature; persistent 
success always proves ability of the highest order. Judged by this standard, the title just 
applied to Mr. \Vilco.\ is fully deserved, as he was a born leader and organizer of men. 

IIt)race C. Wilco.x was twice married : First, Aug. 9, 1849, to Charlotte A., daughter 
of Jabez Smith of Middletown, by whom he had five children. She died May 6, 1864. He 
was married a second time to Ellen M., daughter of Ednnind Parker of Meriden. Three 
children were the result of this union. 




ARXER, CHARLES DUDLEY, was born on. the 12th of September, 1829, at 
Plainfield, Hampshire Count>-, Mass., in the same region that William Cnllen 
Bryant and George William Curtis came from. At his father's death his 
mother removed to Cazenovia, X. Y., where an acquaintance with Joseph R. 
Hawley began, which has had much to do with shaping the career of each of 
them, for it was through this acquaintance that later in life Mr. Warner was led to make 
Hartford his home, Hawley his partner, and journalism and letters his occupation. He and 
Hawley were companions in school days at the seminary in Cazenovia and at Hamilton 
College, where Hawley graduated in 1847, and Warner, taking the highest prize in Englisli, 
in 1851. They have been close personal and business associates ever since i860. 

After graduating from college, Mr. W^arner first undertook to be a surveyor, and sub- 
sequentlv studied law at the University of Pennsyhania. In 1856, he took up its practice 
in Chicago, but his early fondness for letters, which had made him from boyhood an eager 
reader, had never left him, and, when the opporttinity offered to enter newspaper work, he 
was ver\' read^' to accept. It came about in this way. Hawley, who has since become 
major-general of the army, governor of Connecticut, and member of Congress, and is now 
(1894), in his third term as United States senator, was, before the war, a young lawyer in 
Hartford, acting also as editor of the J'rrss, a newspaper established by the Connecticut 
founders of the Republican party to ad\ocate its principles. In i860, needing editorial 
assistance, he sent for his early friend, Warner, to come and join him at S800 a year. Such a 
newspaper .salary- in those days was considered worth having, and Warner accepted. Soon 
afterward Hawley, the first man to enlist from his state, started off for the war, leaving his 
associate in charge of the paper. 

Mr. Warner has practically held that position ever since, for Hawley's public ser\ices 
have so broken in on his newspaper work that the latter has been only occa.sional and in- 
termittent. In 1867, the owners of the Press bought the famous and venerable Mar/ford 
Coiirnnl, (founded in 1764, the oldest journal in the country), and merging their publication 
in it, put into the conservative family paper the vigor and enthusiasm that had marked their 
ambitious enterprise, thus developing one of the most active forces in Connecticut affairs. 
Mr. Warner's early editorial work was of high quality, but it was necessarily anonymous and 
impersonal. He came first before the public ]xvsonall\- through " My Summer in a Garden," 



2 74 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

which appeared as a series of vSaturday morning contributions to The Courant in 1870. They 
were written witliout effort, in an easy and spontaneons style, and delighted all who read 
them with their delicious hnmor, and their fidelity to natnre — not merely as shown in the 
garden, but in the gardener and his friends. These letters were gathered into a volume to 
which Henry Ward Beecher wrote a preface. The book had a large sale, and it still goes 
on selling. It was reprinted abroad, and secured for its author at once a hold upon English 
speaking people. Many of its bits of homely philosophy ha\e become household words. 

And, indeed, in the long list of his subsequent works there is none that does not give 
to the reader its full share of quotable paragraphs, which lodge in the memory because of 
their well-put truth, or their equally striking absurdity. In his description, "On Horse- 
back," of the trip that he and Professor Lounsbury of Yale made through North Caro- 
lina, he tells of the compromise that they reached on the subject of climbing mountains. 
One wanted tt) take in that arduous experience and the other objected. So, in order to 
satisfy the ambitious member of the party, they agreed that no mountain under 6,000 feet 
was worth climbing, and then, to satisfy the other, that every mountain over 6,000 feet 
was too high to climb. Thus, satisfying both by mutual concessions, they continued their 
journev with their differences reconciled, and one kind of compromise well illustrated. In one 
county, where absolute and voluntary total abstinence prevailed, they found the jail locked 
up and abandoned. " It's not much use," says Mr. Warner, "to try to run a jail without 
liquor." It was in a letter from Sicily to 77/^? Couranl \.\\2X he wrote after visiting the 
sulphur mines, that he "never expected to see so much sulphur — at least not in this 
world." 

In his account of "Camping Out in the Adirondacks," the great moral question is 
raised whether a minister, off there away from his congregation, where he will throw a 
stone at a squirrel on Sunday, can also properly shoot at a mark on that day, and it is 
suggested that perhaps he may — with an air gun that makes no noise. In the same sketch, 
describing the immeasurable annoyance caused by the snorers at night, he ventures the 
solemn comment that you can "never judge what a person is when he is awake." In his 
sketch of the "Killing of the Deer," one of the choicest things he has written, he tells of 
the fright of the timid doe when she dashed into a popular Adirondack resort and every- 
body ran out to sec her. ' ' Nothing is so appalling to a recluse as half a mile of summer 
boarders," and off she went at extra speed. 

His "How the Spring Came In New England" has for years been reckoned a safer 
guide than the daily government predictions. New England, he says, is "the exercise 
ground of the weather," and the spring, which doesn't reach us until it is past, leaves us 
" a legacy of coughs and patent medicines." 

But while so nmch of what Mr. Warner writes provokes a smile, a true moral purpose 
underlies his work. This is in all his writings, as it is in the life of the man himself, but 
it is especial!)' noticeable in his later books. His novel, "A Little Journey in the W'orld," 
published in 1889, is no less noteworthy for its dramatic interest and fine study of character 
than for its healthy tone and its wholesome strength. It has had a \&ry large circulation, 
has been the subject of club debates and pulpit sermons, and has brought to its author a 
deal of interesting correspondence. 

Mr. Warner has just finished another novel, "The Golden House," in which appear 
some of the characters whom we already know through the "Little Journey." This, like 
the other, deals with the problems and complications of modern life, and, in the opinion of 
those who have read the manuscript, it is decidedly superior to its predecessor. 




^. 




OF CONNECTICUT, rSdr-rSc,^. 275 

.Mr. Warner has traveled widely and observed always. He has been practical]}- all over 
this country from Mexico to Canada and from Mt. Desert to Coroiiado Beach, and abroad 
he has lived in Kuj^land, Germany, France, and Italy, has journeyed through Spain and 
into Africa, and has been up the Nile and made himself an authority in Egyptolog\-. 

For some years he has been actively engaged upon Harper'' s Mo)itltly Magazine, at first 
editing, and with a short essay introducing, the Editor's Drawer ; and now, since Mr. 
Curtis's death, contributing the Editor's Study. Rut he retains his personal and pecuniary 
interest in The Coiiranl, of which he owns something more than a quarter. Every day 
when he is in Hartford he walks the two miles each way between his home and the 
office, and the tone and policy of the paper are his constant care. In the office, as well as 
out of it, he is the most approachable and companionable .sort of man. 

His home in Nook Farm, near, but not the same as, that which had the "Garden," is 
close by the homes of Mark Twain and Mrs. Stowc, in the western part of the city, and 
its hospitable charm is known to friends all over the world. It is one of the social centers 
of Hartford, esthetic and uncon\entioual, and fitly represents the delightful life that Mr. and 
Mrs. Warner lead among their multitude of friends. 

Mr. Warner is a member of Hartford's, at least locally, famous Monday Evening Club, 
of the Century, University and Players' Clubs of New York, and of the Ta\-ern Club of 
Boston among others, and is president of the N. E. Association of Hamilton Ahuuni. He 
holds the honorary degrees of M. A. from Yale, Hamilton and Dartmouth; E. H. D. from 
Hamilton, and D. C. L. from the University of the South. He is a member of the Asylum 
Hill Congregational Church of Hartford, of which his intimate friend, the Rev. j[. H. Twitchell, 
is the pastor. 

His books include the following: "My Summer in a Garden," " Sauuterings," "Back 
Log Studies," " Baddeck and That Sort of Thing," "My W' inter on the Nile," "In the 
Levant," "Being a Boy," "In the Wilderness," "Life of Captain John Smith," "The 
\Vork of Washington Irving," "A Roundabout Journey," "Their Pilgrimage," "On Horse- 
back," "South and West and Comments on Canada," " .\ Little Journey in the World," 
"Our Italy," " .Vs We Were Saying," "As We Go" and "The Golden House." 

C. H. c. 




;OE, LYM.VN WlvT.MORE, a leading citizen of Torrington, prominent for many 
years in both branches of the state legislature, and widely known as one of the 
most enterprising and successful manufacturers of Connecticut, was born in 
Torrington, Conn., June 20, 1820. He died Feb. 7, 1893, sincerely mourned 
by all who knew him. His father, Israel Coe, wa.s a well-to-do and highly 
respected citizen of Waterbury, Conn., and his mother, whose maiden name was Nancv 
Wetmore, belonged to a well-known New England family of that name. 

Mr. Coe's education began in the,, public .schools of his native village, was continued at 
the Waterbur>- high school and was finished at the Morris Academy and the private collegiate 
institute of Prof. W. W. Andrews, at vSouth Cornwall. After spending a few months in a 
store at Waterbun-, he .secured a minor clerkship with the firm of Wadhams, Coe & Compauv 
at Wolcottvillc, which he held two years. He then accepted a more responsible position 
with Lewis McKcc & Company, merchants and manufacturers at Terryville, who were the 
first cabinet lock manufacturers in the United States. Young Coe remained three years with 
jtliis firm, spending one year of the time at its brass mill at Torrington, where he gained that 



276 REPRESEXTATU'E MEX 

practical and thorough knowledge of niauufactnring which was ever afterward so ser\-iceable 
to liim as a business man. In the spring of 1841, he accepted the secretaryship of the Wol- 
cottville Brass Company. He resigned this position in the summer of 1845, to assume charge 
of the brass wire mill at Cotton Hollow, which had been established by the newly organized 
Waterbury Brass Company. The able manner in which he attended to this branch of the 
business led to his being chosen, early in 1846, to the dual position of secretary and treasurer 
of the Waterbury Brass Company. He now took up his residence at Waterbury, the 
administrative headquarters of the corporation, and in order that the manufacturing department 
might be more fully under his supei-\-ision, it was removed from Cotton Hollow to that town. 
Mr. Coe was virtually at the head of this company for eighteen years, and by his distinguished 
ability as general and financial manager, raised it to a higli degree of prosperitv. 

In May, 1863, he severed his connection with it, and purchasing the entire stock of the 
Wolcottville Brass Compau}-, he organized the Coe Brass Company, which began operations 
with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars. This business he established at Torrington, 
thus giving to his native place greater importance as a manufacturing- centre. Mr. Coe 
brought to the discharge of his duties as president of the new company, natural business 
abilities of the first order, and an experience of over a quarter of a centurv in the special 
field of its operations. Sagacious and enterprising, he soon succeeded in placing the company 
in the foremost rank both as to the quality and quantity of its output. By degrees its products 
were pushed into every important market in this country and into man)- of the principal foreign 
markets, in all of which they have continued to hold their own, notwithstanding the most 
lively competition. To-day the Coe Brass Company stands as one of the leading manufactories 
of its kind in the United States. Its machinery reqixires one thousand two hundred horse 
power, one thousand of which is supplied by four steam engines, and two hundred by water 
power from the neighboring streams. A large force of emplo}-ees find stead}- and remunerative 
work in the ofhces, warerooms and manufactories of the company, and the whole enterprise 
has contributed in a marked degree to the prosperitj- and advancement of Torrington. By 
gradual increase the capital of the company has been raised to three hundred and twenty-five 
thousand dollars. Although the detail of the business was simply enormous, it was so 
effectively systematized by President Coe that the whole concern ran along easily and almost 
with the precision of clock-work. 

In 1845, Mr. Coe was elected by his fellow-citizens of Torrington to represent that 
town in the state legislature. Although a ver}- busy man at that time, he attended to 
his legislative duties so closely, and displayed so much character in his work that he 
might have been reelected were it not for the circumstance of his removal to Waterbury. 
In 1858, while a resident of Waterburj', he was again elected to the state legislature. At 
the close of his term he declined to reenter the field owing to the increasing pressure of 
his regular business. In 1862, finding himself able to give the necessary attention to 
public duties, he accepted the nomination to the state Senate from the Republicans of the 
fifth senatorial district. Elected by a vote which clearly demonstrated his popularity, he 
ser\-ed to the close of that term, winning the hearty approval of loyal men of all shades 
of political belief, particularly liy his patriotic support of every measure tending to sus- 
tain the national government in the great war then going on for the suppression of 
rebellion. His removal from the district in the following year alone prevented his re- 
nomination. In 1876, he was chosen to the state Senate from the fifteenth district, and 
by successive reelections was retained as its representative during five years. While in 
the Senate he served on several of its most important committees, and for two terms 
was president pro tcm. of the Senate. Both on the floor of the Senate and in the com- 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 277 

iiiittee room he was an active and earnest promoter and advocate of wholesome measures, 
displaying those qualities of judgment natural in a successful business man, the main- 
spring of which was patriotism and common sense blended in about equal proportions. 

In connection with the demands of his business, and also for the purpose of secur- 
ing nmch-nceded rest and recreation, Senator Coe travelled extensively both at home 
and abroad ; and by personal experience and contact gleaned a vast fund of informa- 
tion regarding the people, their customs and habits and institutions, in many places. As 
a manufacturer and business man Mr. Coe was specially distinguished by his great enter- 
prise, which apparently never slumbered. Quick to perceive opportunities he was equally 
quick in making them his own, and no small share of the brilliant success he achieved in 
life was due to this faculty. !\Ianaging every transaction with scrupulous integrity, prompt 
and reliable in keeping contracts and engagements, and ambitions at all times to do the 
very best that can be done, he possessed a reputation as a man of honor, of progressive 
btisiness methods and of broad views second to none in the state. As a manufacturer he 
was known at home and abroad as one of the most reliable and enterprising in America. 

Mr. Coe was actively interested for many years in every enterprise, public and pri\-ate, 
having in view the development and prosperity of Torrington, and the improvement of the 
material and moral welfare of its inhabitants. It may be said without fear of contradiction, 
that he was undoubtedly acknowledged by all as the leading citizen of the town, and 
judged by his unremitting labors in its behalf he appears to be rightly entitled to this 
enviable distinction. His record as a public man was unblemished, and up to the time of 
his death his opinions were sought and highly valued as those of a wise, experienced and 
lionorable publicist. In the ordinary social relations of life Senator Coe was remiss in no 
particular, being a cultivated gentleman, a good citizen, a helpful neighbor, and a sincere 
Christian. Were his reputation founded on his personal qualities alone, they would suffice 
to give him an eminent place among the worthies of his native state. 

He was married on Nov. 3, 1841, to Miss Eliza Seymour, daughter of Sanuiel Seymour 
of Torrington. They had three children. 

The impressive services at the funeral of Mr. Coe were most significant proof of the 
esteem in which he was universally held. A large number of prominent gentlemen from 
out of town were present, for he had friends every-where, and, as for Torrington itself, the 
whole town took part in the funeral. Flags were all flying at half staff, factories, stores and 
banks were closed, all busine.ss being practically suspended, and the streets were lined with 
people, all of them wearing the sober look of men and women who realized that a mis- 
fortune had befallen the community, and that all had lost a friend. 

Numerous tributes of respect were given by various corporations and bodies with which 
he was connected, but the most comprehensive as well as the most touching were the reso- 
lutions passed by the directors of the Coe Brass Company : 

The- Hon. Lyman Wctniore Coe, president of this corporation, died suddenly at his home in Torrington. 
Thursday, I'eb. 9, 189.^, a^ed 73 years. In his death this corponatiou loses its founder, and its first and only presi- 
dent. Mr. Coe was naturally interested in the manufacture of brass, as his father, Mr. Israel Coe, had been amoug 
the first to introduce this branch of industry into the I'liited States. Mr. L. \V. Coe was first actively engaged in 
this business in connection wnth the Wolcottville Brass Company, the first certificate of stock of that corporation 
having been signed by him as secretary. May 20, 1841. In 1846, he removed to Waterbury, and from that time 
until 1863, was associated with the Waterbury Brass Company as its executive official. 

In 1S63, he returned to Torrington Uhen Wolcottville) and having acquired the entire capital stock of the 
Wolcottville Brass Company, organized the present corporation umler the name of the Coe Brass Manufacturing 
Company. .\t that time the business was not in a fluurishing condition, but Mr. Coe's energy, foresight and abilitv, 
sustained by the cordial sujjport and loyalty of his stockholders, who were of the best clement among the Nauga- 
tuck Valley business men, soon placed the company in the first rank,— a position which it has held until the 

36 



278 REPRESENTATn'E MEN 

present day. The history of the corporation since that time is in general that of the entire brass business of the 
country, and especially that of the Naugatuck Valley, it having created and maintained a field peculiar to itself. 
The development of the present extensive plant from its modest beginning, under Mr. Coe's presidency, is one of 
the trium.phs of the American industrial age. In his death the last of that circle of business men in the Naugatuck 
Valley who made the manufacture of brass a national industry has passed away. 

The leading characteristics of Mr. Coe in his business relations were his pronounced convictions and courage 
in maintaining them, his quick perception of advantageous circumstances and ability in utilizing them, the 
thoroughness of his plans, his wide views of the commercial field, his cordial and trusted relations with his asso- 
ciates and the patrons of the corporation, and his genial and equitable dealings with his fellow-officers and the 
employees of the company. The members of this board mourn his loss as that of an associate with whom they 
had ever been in the most cordial sympathy, a leader in whose sagacity they had placed especial confidence, and 
a personal friend to whom they had become deeply attached, and whose memor\- will ever be held by them in the 
warmest esteem. 

Resolved, That the preceding minute be entered in the records of the corporation, that an engrossed copy 
be sent to the family of the deceased, and that copies be transmitted to the press. 

.\ttest, Ch^rlh.s F. Brooker, Secretarv. 




■^ROOKER, CHARLES FREDERICK, of Torrinston, president of the Coe 
Brass ]\Iaimfactiirin_i^- Company and senator from the Eighteenth District, was 
born in the town where he now resides, March 4, 1847. 

The first of the name on record in this coimtry was John Brooker, who was 
known to be at Gnilford with his wife, Mary, in 1695. From the fact that he 
continued to transact lousiness with leading citizens of the town until his decease, it is 
presumed he had lived in Boston for a number of years previous to his coming to Guilford. 
He carried on the business of shipwright and was a man of C(insiderable property for the times 
in which he lived. His son Abraham was a merchant, and died suddenly at the early age 
of thirty-fotir. Abraham Brooker, Jr., married Tamar Murry and was the father of eight 
children. Of these, Samuel was the sixth, and was the first of the famih- to come to Torring- 
tou. His 3'oungest son Martin married Sarah Maria, daughter of Samuel Seymour, and was 
the father of the subject of this sketch. He gained his living by agricultural pursuits, and 
was a man of sterling worth. 

Edticated at the public schools of his native town, at an early age he began his business 
career in a mercantile establishment in Wolcottville, now Torrington, and after two years he 
accepted a position with Benedict, Merriman & Company of Waterbury. In 1864, he returned 
to Torrington, of which place he is still a resident. Entering the employ of the Coe Brass 
Manufacturing Company as bookkeeper, he displayed such efificiency and knowledge that 
in 1870, he was elected secretary of the company. In the interests of the company he has 
spent a large amount of time in Europe and the West Indies, and during his long-continued 
service, has made a dozen trips abroad. After the death of ^Ir. Lyman W. Coe, in 1893, 
Mr. Brooker was naturally selected as the president of the company, and is now filling that 
responsible position. Owing to Mr. Coe's increasing years, the burden had fallen upon him 
for some time previously, and consequently there was little change in the management of 
affairs. The Torrington Register stated the situation very clearly in the following paragraph : 

There has naturally been more or less .solicitude on the part of the people of this borough as to the effect 
which the loss of Mr. Coe would have on the management of the Coe Brass Manufacturing Company. As the 
prosperity of that company is such an important factor in the welfare of this communitj- and vicinit}', we are 
glad to be able to say that the directors at their special meeting this afternoon, recognizing the long service and 
ability of Mr. Charles F. Brooker, for twenty-nine j'ears, the last twenty-four as secretary of the company, unani- 
mously elected him to the position of president to succeed the late lamented L. W. Coe. This ensures a 
continuance of the same management in so far as it can be assured without the mature judgment and wise 





cto 




-v-i^-A 




I 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 279 

counsel of the founder of the company. With Mr. Urooker as president, Mr. K. T. Coe as secretary and 
treasurer, and Mr. James Doujjhty as assistant secretary and salesman, we are confident that the same enerj;v, 
prudence and foresight which have characterized the management of the company in the past, will continue to 
be exercised in the future, and it will go on in its present prosperity, a highly creditable institution to 
Torrington and profitable to its share-holders. We congratulate the new president on his accession to this 
exceedingly honorable position, and extend our best wishes for the success of the great industry of which he 
is now the head. 

Mr. Brooker is one of the most active business men in Western Connecticnt. In addition 
to being; tlie head of a laio;e corporation, he holds a directorship in the Thomaston Bank, the 
Tnrner (S: Seymour Mainifacturing Company, the Ne\v Process Nail Company, and other 
lesser corporations, and is vice-president of the Torrin,o;ton Savings Bank. With Messrs. 
O. R. F'yler and J. W. Brooks, he organized the Torrington Water Company, and bnilt the 
water works which are among the most substantial in the country. Besides being of incal- 
culable benefit to the town, the company has proved a great financial success. 

Recognized as one of the prominent Repu'blicans of Connecticut, Mr. Brooker is a member 
of the central committee from his section, and his influence is felt in moidding the policy 
of the part)-. In 1875, he had the honor of representing his native town in the state legislature, 
his colleagues from Litchfield County including Henry Gay, the Winsted banker, and State's 
Attorney James Huntington of Woodbury. At this session he .served on the committee on 
insurance. He was a member of the Senate from the Eighteenth District in 1893. The 
good government of the town of Torrington has always claimed a share of Mr. Brooker's 
attention, and among other .services rendered he has been a member of the Board of Burgesses 
for a number of years. 

As he was splendidly equipped by training and extensive travel for the position, Governor 
Bulkeley appointed Mr. Brooker one of the alternate commissioners for the World's Fair 
from Connecticut. He was a member of the state commission, and assisted in the regular 
Avork performed by such commissions. Mr. Brooker has been a member of the Union League 
Club of New York for twenty years, and also of the Engineers' Club of that city. He is 
a member of the Geographical Society and of the New England Society, both of New York. 
In religious belief, he is a Congregationalist, being a member of the church of that denom- 
ination in Torrington, and for a score of years has served as chairman of the societv's 
committee. 

At the annual election of 1893, of that great Connecticut corporation, the New York, 
New Haven & Hartford Railroad, Mr. Brooker was cho.sen a member of the board of directors. 
He had previously been a director in the Naugatuck Road, which was leased to the company 
named, and was familiar with the affairs of the road. Speaking of the new names added to 
the board, the Hartford Coitranl said : 

Charles I'. Brooker of Torrington, is president of the Coe Brass Company of that place, one of the great 
concerns of the Naugatuck Valley, and has been for several years a director of the Naugatuck Railroad. He 
•was a member of the last state Senate. Mr. Brooker has a very large personal acquaintance, and is everywhere 
respected. He is one of the ablest of the younger business men of the state, and combines tact and executive 
ability with a personal character of the choicest sort. He is an excellent representative Connecticut citizen. 



28o REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



wm 



"|ILL, HENRY, of Norwich, book publisher, state senator, bank president, and 
/A founder of the Bill Library in Ledyard, and of the Henry Bill Publishing 
Company, was born in that part of the town of Groton, now Ledyard, on 
: the iSth of ^lay, 1824. He was the son of Gurdon and Lucy (Yerrington) Bill. 
^"^^ His early life was spent upon the farm, but having a desire to see more 

of the world, he went to New London, where, after a brief experience as apprentice in the 
office of the Ncza L(^ndoit Gazette when he was in his sixteenth year, ]Mr. Bill returned to 
his native town and the following winter secured a position as teacher in the Broad Brook 
district in Preston. That he might be better qualified for the responsible duties of teacher, 
he entered the academy at Plainfield, then one of the most celebrated schools in the country. 
Until he reached the age of twent}-, his winters were occupied in teaching in the schools of 
Plainfield and Groton, and his summers in helping his father on the paternal farm, inter- 
spersing these occupations with a limited period of trade in New London. The force and 
energv which were ever so characteristic of Mr. Bill now made themselves apparent. At 
twenty his year of minority was purchased of his father, and soon after he engaged in a 
business which was to occupy the remainder of his active life, and in the prosecution of 
which all the highest objects of his ambition were achieved. We went to the West, where 
he engaged in selling books for several years, and as the months went by he gained a prac- 
tical insight into the business of publishing books which he could have secured in no other 
way. In the fall of 1847, having decided to enter the field as publisher on his own account, 
lie returned to his native county and located in the city of Norwich. In taking this step 
he Avas much encouraged by the elder Harper Brothers of New York. They instinctively 
recognized the mateiial for success which he possessed, and gave him unquestioned credit, 
and during the rest of their lives remained his warmest friends. 

Here for nearly two score years IMr. Bill pursued his avocation as a book publisher with 
ceaseless energ}- and with uniform success. A catalogue of the works which he published 
and distributed by hundreds of thousands all over the United States by agents would include 
such standard volumes as "Stephen's Travels in Yucatan," " Maunder's History of the 
World," ":\Iurray's Encyclopaedia of all Nations," " Kitto's Bible Histories," .\bbott's 
History of the Civil War," "The Life of Christ," and "Young People's History of the 
the Bible," etc., etc. 

Such a life of hard, persistent work deserved and was rewarded by an ample fortune. 
But the labor of securing this desirable result had made sad inroads on his health, and a 
change was made necessary in the management of the widely extended interests. Mr. Bill 
then organized his extensive business into the joint stock corporation, which still flourishes 
under the title of the Henry Bill Publishing Company. At this time to a large extent he 
retired from the activities of mercantile life. 

Following the traditions of the family, in early life Mr. Bill's political affiliations were 
with the Democratic party. It was as a Democrat that he represented the Norwich district 
in the Senate of 1853, and his popularity was so great that in the election he received a 
liberal share of the votes of his opponents. He was the youngest member of the Senate 
at that session. When the contest came in 1S56, and the party was rent asuufler, he cast 
his lot with the anti-slaver\' section, and has since been an active and iiucompromising 
member of the Republican party. During the Civil War his services and time were freelj' 
given to the Union cause. He was the devoted friend of Governor Buckingham, who was 
at the helm of state during those trying scenes, and the governor relied greatly upon his 
advice and counsel. He was a presidential elector in 1S68, on the General Grant ticket, 



OF CONNECTICUT, i86r-iS()4. 281 

but witli the exceptions naincd he has held no pu1)lic office. In his early manhood Mr. Bill 
became a member of the Con.ijregational Church, and during his residence in Norwich was 
a member of the Broadway Society, being a liberal supporter of its work. 

The citizens of Norwich will ever be deeply indebted to Mr. Bill for his philanthropic 
interest in the e.xtension of their park privileges. The reclaiming of the tract, now known 
as Laurel Hill, one of the most thrifty and beautiful suburbs of Norwich, was wholly his 
work. He gave outright to the state a public park valued at $S,ooo, after having first made 
the gift possible. To his native town of Ledj-ard his interest took the form of a fine 
library-, known as the " Bill Library." This was soleh- for the benefit of the people of the 
town, and together with the gift of a handsome parsonage, cost not less than $12,000. He 
has also taken a deep interest in the welfare and education of many colored young men in 
the Southern states since the war. His benefactions along this line have resulted most 
favorablv in numerous instances. For nearly thirty years he was vice-president of the 
Chelsea Savings Bank, for two years served as president, resigning the office only on account 
of declining health. 

lu the future of his adopted city Mr. Bill always had great faith, and, obeying the 
Scriptural injunction, he showed his faith by his works. His in\estments were almost 
whollv in real estate, and in its care and management he found ample occupation after his 
retirement from the whirl of business life. In this respect, as in all the leading traits of 
his character, his example is a valued and .safe guide. Few of the sons of New London 
County have made a more lasting impress upon its moral and material interests than 
Mr. Bill, and when the roll of its sons who have made an honored name for them- 
selves shall be called, his name will be found among the very first. He was one of the 
best products of the solid Connecticut institutions — self-made, self-reliant, .strong to execute 
whatever he planned, a worthy citizen, a good friend and a model neighbor, he left a lasting 
mark for good upon the connnunity where he passed the active period of his life. 

Henry Bill was married Feb. loth, 1847, to Julia O. Chapman, daughter of Simeon and 
L^rsula Chapman. Of the seven children born to them, two daughters and a son are now 
living. He died Aug. 16, 1891, greatly beloved and lamented by all his fellow-citizens. His 
remains lie buried in Yantic cemeterv in Norwich. 




?ARPENTER, ELISHA, of Hartford, judge of the Supreme Court of the state 

.,■;{ of Connecticut, was born in Ashford, Windham County, Jan. 14, 1824. His 

: father was Uriah B. Carpenter, a farmer in moderate circumstances. He was 

of British descent, of a numerous family both in Kngland and in this country. 

William Carpenter and three sons emigrated to this country in 1642, and 
settled in Ma.ssachusetts, just east of Rhode Island. A generation or two later .some of 
their descendants^ settled in eastern Connecticut. No one of the name became famous or 
particnlarlv wealthv; on the other hand, so far as is now known, no one belonged to the 
criminal or vicious classes; but all were respectable and law abiding citizens. His mother's 
name was Marcia Scarborough. The Scarborough family, too, was prominent in England, 
and numerous in this countr)-. What has been said of the Carpenters is equally true of 
them. The two grandfathers of Judge Carpenter, although quite young, were soldiers of the 
Revolntionan- War. Both died before he was born, but their widows lived about a quarter 
of a century after, and were pensioners. Both families were somewhat noted for their 
longevity. 



282 " REPRESEyTATIl E A/EX 

The father of Judge Carpenter was a man of small means. His main occupation was 
tillino- the soil, although he held the most important oiBces in the gift of the town — 
selectman, justice of the peace, judge of probate and representati\-e in the General Assembly. 
His main reliance for the support of his family was the farm; and that required unremitting 
toil, economy and good management. Nearly everything — food and clotliing — came directly 
or indirectly from the farm. Flax, the direct product of the soil, supplied clothing for the 
family during the summer; wool produced b}- the flocks kept on the farm, supplied it in 
winter. Both were substantialh- made into cloth, and, to a considerable extent, by the 
female members of the household. The feet were protected from the cold by hides produced 
on the farm, and converted into leather by the local tanner. Boots and shoes were made 
by the male members of the family. Such was life in rural New England in 1824, and for 
some twenty years afterwards. Uriah B. Carpenter died at Eastford in 1872, at the venerable 
age of eight\'-one years. Elisha, the subject of this sketch, was his fourth son. 

Brought up on the farm owned and cultivated b>- his father, the lad divided his time 
about equalh- between agricultural labor and study. Although at this time his opportunities 
of acquiring an education were extremely limited, he made excellent progress and when only 
seventeen years of age was sufficiently well advanced in his studies to engage in .school 
teaching, his first charge being in tlie town of Willington in the northern part of the state. 
Having secured a degree of financial independence through his labors as a teacher — which 
were continued at intervals during a period of seven years — he set about preparing himself 
for college, entering the Ellington Institute at Ellington, Tolland County, the principal of 
which when he began the course was the Rev. Richard S. Rust, who was succeeded later 
on by the Rev. Mr. Buckham, and both of whom were widely known as skilled instructors. 
Several circum.stances combined to prevent his carrying out his intentions regarding a college 
education, and, about the year 1S44, he turned his attention to the study of law, being 
assured that his educational qualifications were now amply sufficient to justify- this step. 
After a thorough legal training in the office of the late Jonathan A. Welch, Esq., of 
Brooklyn, Conn., he was, in December, 1846, admitted to the bar, and the beginning of the 
ensuing year found him engaged in active practice in his native place. Here he remained 
until March, 1S51, when he removed to Danielsouville, Conn., succeeding to the practice of 
the late Hon. Thomas IJackus, a lawyer of considerable note, who then retired from business. 

The ability displayed by the young lawyer drew upon him the attention of persons 
high in authority, and, in 1851, he was appointed state's attorney for Windham county 
and served as such one year. In 1854, he was again appointed to the office named and 
served until 1S61. In 1857 and 1858, he sat in the state Senate as the representative of 
the fourteenth senatorial district of Connecticut, and during the session of the latter year 
was chairman of the judiciary committee and president pro tern, of the Senate. The opening 
of the Civil War found him a member of the state House of Representatives, and as chairman 
of the military committee of this branch of the legislature, he rendered valuable service to 
the Union cause, of which he continued a staunch and conspicuous supporter until the close 
of the Rebellion. At the opening of the session there was no law in the state by which 
the executive could turn over to the general government any portion of the military power 
of the state. (lovernor Buckingham, however, who shirked no responsibility, had already 
placed se\-cral regiments at the disposal of the government, which were then in the field. 
The military connnittee, realizing the importance of prompt action, prepared^ a bill legalizing 
the previous action of the go\ernor and providing for the future, which bill became a law 
during the first week of the session, and continued the groundwork of legislation on that 
subject during the war. 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6i-iSi)4. 283 

B\- that lej^islature he was elected a jiuli^e of the Snpcri(jr Court — not as a Republican, 
for there were no party nominations — to succeed Judge Hutler, who was promoted to the 
Supreme Court bench. His term of office commenced July 4, 1S61. In 1865, he was elected 
to fill the vacancy upon the bench of the Supreme Court of Errors of Connecticut, caused 
bv the retirement of Jud<^e Dutton — formerly fjovernor of the state, — who had reached 
the constitional limit as to age. Judge Carpenter took his seat upon the supreme bench in 
February, 1866, and, although still a comparatively young man, brought to the exercise of 
his high jtidicial functions rare attainments, both as a lawyer and jurist, and many scholarly 
accomplishments. 

Judge Carpenter has been reelected for three successive terms of eight years each, and 
at the expiraticm of his constitutional limit, he lacked but one month of twenty-eight years 
of continuous sen-ice in the highest court of the state. He held his distinguished office 
for a longer time than any other judge since the adoption of the Constitution, and for a period 
of twenty-three years, previous to 1889, he was the youngest man on the bench. As a judge 
he has won general esteem without attempting to influence it by resorting to merely popular 
methods ; and his decisions and rulings, uni\ersally regarded as conspicuously just and able, 
stamp him as a man of high intellect and rare judgment and discrimination, and have earned 
for him a distinguished place among American jurists. The cause of popular education has 
always found a firm and progressive supporter in Judge Carpenter, who was an active and 
efficient member of the State Board of Education from its organization in 1865, dowu to the 
close of 1883. For some years also he has served on the State Board of Pardons. In private 
life Judge Carpenter is widely loved and respected. An honorable and high-minded gentleman, 
his example and influence as a citizen is a constant power for good, not oidy in the community 
with which he is most closely identified, but also throughout the state. 

Speaking of the enfoixed retirement, the Ilnrljord Post said : 

Judsre Elisha Carpenter retires, on Sunday, January 14, from his place on the Supreme Court bench, on 
account of the legal limitation of age — for on that day he will he 70. He is as vigorous mentally as ever, and 
does not propose to rust out in "innocuous desuetude." but will return to the practice of the law. It will be 
difficult for his friends to realize that Judge Carpenter, who has been for a generation on the bench of the 
Superior and the Supreme Courts, is going back to the practice of his profession. He has formed a partner- 
ship with a much younger but very promising lawyer from his native county (Windham), Mr. Frank B. Williams; 
and their law office will be in Hills's Block, 333 Main street. It is a coincidence that Judge Carpenter's law- 
partner, Mr. Williams, is the grandson of Judge Backus of Killingly, in whose office Judge Carpenter read the 
law, and to which he succeeded when Judge Backus in 1S50 retired. 

Judge Carpenter took his place in the Superior Court on the 4th of July, 1861 — the memorable opening 
}-ear of the war. He held that place not quite five years, and on the iith of February, 1866, was promoted to 
the Supreme Court, a position he has held with credit for nearly twenty-eight years. His work in the highest 
court lias been marked l)y conscientiousness and ability. His decisions have been, as a rule, models of clearness 
and gooil sense. Perhaps he has been best noted as an authority in will cases ; but he has shown a wide range 
of kuowleilge of other fields and subjects, and a judicial miml. .\hvays aiming to be a man of the people, his 
decisions have been made in a way that "the common people" could understand. He ought to have a gooil 
"deal of useful and successful work yet in his profession; and his numerous friends will heartily wish him all 
success iu it. 

He has been twice married. His first wife, Harriet Grosvenor Brown, a daughter of 
Shubael Brown of Brooklyn, Conn., was united to him in marriage in 1848. This ladv died 
in 1874, leaving one son, De Forest Lockwood, who died in 1S79, and three daughters, Alice 
L., Harriet B., and Marcia S., still living. In 1876, Judge Carpenter married his present 
wife, whose maiden name was Sophia Tyler Cowen. This esteemed lady, whose native 
place is Saratoga, is a lineal descendant, through her mother, Sarah S. Tyler, of Rev. Thomas 
Hooker, the founder of Connecticut, and also of Jonathan Edwards, the distinguished divine, 
and is a daughter of the late Sydney J. Cowen of Saratoga. X. V., and a grand-daughter 
of Hon. E.sek Cowen, fonncrly a judge of the supreme c(mrt of Xew York. Two children, 
Sidney Cowen and Helen Edwards, both now living, are the issue of this second marriajre. 



284 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 




^^HOMPSON, CURTIS, of Bridgeport, counsellor at law, was born Oct. 30, 1S35. 
:'^;^^| John Thompson, the original emigrant of the name, came to New England 

\f-i'^l-^ on a visit of inspection, tradition says, in the good ship, "Elizabeth and Ann," 
?^%&^ in 1635, and, being satisfied with its appearance, returned home to sell his 
property, and come back for life. While in England he was married, and on 
his second trip to this country, he settled in Stratford some time before 1646. John Thompson 
was a man of considerable property, and died leaving a good estate. His son, Ambrose, 
married a grand-daughter of Governor Thomas Welles of Connecticut, and was for nine years 
a deputy at the general court, and sat, in 1692, on the jury which was the last to condemn 
to death a woman for witchcraft in Connecticut. Deacon John, son of Ambrose, was a man 
of importance in the town and count}-. He was town clerk for many years, for seven years 
a deput\- to the general court, during which time he was frequenth' appointed to settle 
disputes concerning church sites in P'airfield County, and for twentv-two years a justice of 
the peace and quorum in the county court. His son, Lieut. John Thompson, married for 
his second wife, Mehital)el, daughter of the Rev. John Webb of Fairfield, one of the ten 
Congregational clergymen who founded Yale College, and their fourth son was Captain 
David, the father of David, Jr., who was in the West India trade, and the grandfather of 
George, the father of the subject of this sketch. George Thompson was a manufacturer 
and merchant in Stratford, and married Lucy Ann, daughter of Freeman Curtis, a direct 
descendant of William Curtis, who landed at Scituate, Mass., in 1632. His widow, Elizabeth, 
and two sons, William and John, came to Stratford in 1639, and they and their descendants 
were prominent in the affairs of the state. Through intermediate ancestors, Mr. Thompson 
is connected with the Wells, Peck, Booth, Judson, Lewis and other old families. On his 
maternal side he is a descendant of the Re\-. Adam Blakeman, the pioneer minister of 
Stratford. 

Curtis Thompson earl\- in life e\'inced a love for studv, and acquired a good education 
in the public and ])ri\ate schools. There Avas at Stratford a library of four hundred volumes 
of well selected books. To these he had access in his youth, and the opportunity was most 
diligently improxx-d. He was prepared for, but did not enter Yale College. His excellent 
parents, blessed with a familv of ten children, did not feel able to send him to college. 
Baffled in this strong desire, he worked for a while at a trade, and taught school, but he still 
pursued his studies with private instructors and at the Stratford Academ}-. He became an 
active participant in the Debating Society of Stratford and the Philomathean Society of 
Bridgeport, which experience has been of great value to him. 

Finally turning his attention to the law, he studied with George W. Warner, Esq., and 
D. F. Hollister, Esq., of Ikidgeport, and at Harvard University. He was admitted to the bar 
of Middlesex County, ;\Iass., Dec. 14, 1863, to the Fairfield County (Conn.) bar April 28, 
1864, and to the United States courts Nov. 21, 1870. In the earlier portion of his professional 
career, Mr. Thompson had an extensive criminal practice, and in this field he gained an 
enviable reputation for himself. Perhaps the most important case was that of Mrs. Lorena 
Alexander in 1878. She and one Bassett were charged with the murder of Stuttering Jack, 
Avhose body they tried to sell to a Yale professor for dissection. The case was so atrocious 
in its details, that it seemed hopeless from the start, but Mr. Thompson, with his associate, 
Albert M. Tallmadge, Esq., handled it with skill and ability. It attracted wide attention 
at the time. vSpeaking of his share of the work, the New York Sini said : 

Mr. Thompson is a slow, c.-ireful and iinimpassioned speaker. He reasoned through the case from 
beginning to end. forgetting nothing and making his meaning clear at every point. He apparentlj- felt the 
jury was not with hiui. Next. Mr. Thompson adverted to the letters in which he had begged for an interview. 





^(AA/i^\A^fhyC'-U^i^^ 



cr>x 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 285 

Thus far the speaker h ul avoided all eff >rt at elociUion. but in reading three of the prisouer's letters — one to 
City Attorney Holt, one to State's Attorney Olnistead, an<l one to her mother, his voice was carefully modu- 
lated and adapted to the sentiments expressed. The reading of these letters was a fine stroke for the defence. 
Nearly every woman in the court room shed tears and some sobbed outright. The jury were visibly affected, 
and even Judge Beardsley was apparently not unmoved. 

The jiir\' were divided, but at last ao;reed on iimnlcr in the second degree. While his 
professional work has been general — Mr. Thompson has devoted much time to probate, 
banking and corporation law. As a member of the Congregational church, he has been 
employed as counsel in some noted ecclesiastical contests. He was one of the counsel in 
support of N. S. Wordin's will, the most famous case of the kind in Fairfield County. For 
a score of years he was the legal counsellor of P. T. Barnum — and drew numerous wills 
for him. With all the noble gifts of the great showman to charitable and pul>lic objects, 
Mr. Thompson was in hearty sympathy; and when "The Barnum Institute for Science and 
History" was dedicated after Mr. Barnutn's death, he was unanimously chosen to make the 
opening address, presenting the building to the learned .societies. He drew up the provisions 
of Mrs. Catherine A. Pettengill's will, in which nearly half a million was given bv this noble 
woman to the church, and city, and charity, and he was instrumental thereby in securing 
$100,000 for the Bridgeport Public Library, whereby it was placed on a solid footing. 

Mr. Thonii)son\s connection with the bank brought him largely into real estate transac- 
tions, and in this branch of his profession he has grown to be an expert. ;\Ir. Thompson 
stands in the front rank among the members of his profession, and easily holds his position 
by his long experience, his comprehensive grasp of the technicalities of a case, and his 
strong and forcible manner of presenting his side of the question at issue. But he aims to 
make his office "a court of conciliation," and to aid his clients in avoiding trouble "and 
settling controversies before they grow into law suits." 

His official career has been an extended and honorable one. In 1864, Dr. J. T. 
Dennison having been appointed judge of probate for the F^airfield district, he was made 
clerk of that court, and during the next four years did most of the probate business of the 
district. It was a good school for him, and the experience gained has been usefid to him 
in many ways. The following year Mr. Thompson represented Stratford in the state 
legislature, and was twice reelected. In his first term the legislature was strongly Republi- 
can in tone, Imt with 1866 came the re-construction party and the condition of things was 
much different. This year he assisted in securing the election of Hon. O. S. Ferry as 
United States senator. He was elected for the third time in 1867, and at each election had 
the satisfaction of seeing his majority increased. In 1865, he served as a member of the 
judiciary committee; in 1866, as chainnan of the same connnittee, and the last term as 
chairman of the committee on corporations, which happened that year to be one of the 
most important of the session; he was, also, a member of the committee on contested 
elections and of other committees. 

The high value his fellow-citizens place upon his services is evidenced by the number of 
offices to which he has been elected. In 1867, he was town clerk of Stratford. In 186S, 1869 
and again in 1872, Mr. Thompson was deputy judge of the city court of Bridgeport. For 
three years, conunencing in 1874, he served as councilman and alderman of the citv, and as 
a member of the committee to revi.se the charter and ordinances. In 1883, he was attorney 
for the town of Bridgeport, and for the years 1S79, 1882, 18S6 and 1887, he was city attorney. 
Seeing the need of obviating the anomalous condition of things existing, in 1888, he headed 
a movement, which was successful, to consolidate the town and city governments. With able 
assistants and hard work the amendment was carried through the legislature. Now no one 
would think of returning to the former state of affairs. The service he rendered to the city 

37 



286 REPRESENTATH-E MEN 

at this time can hardly be over-vahied. He is a trustee of the Fairfiekl County Law Librarj^ 
Association, a member of the Fairfield Count}- Historical Society, the Bridgeport Scientific 
Society, the Seaside Club, and other institutions. In politics he hiis been always a warm 
supporter of the best principles advocated by the Republican party. 

For many yeai's ]\Ir. Thompson was a member of the board of directors of the old 
Bridgeport Library. At that time it was not a public institution, and only by much self- 
sacrificing labor was it kept open. The handsome gift (mentioned prev-iously) which he 
had the pleasure of securing has since placed the library on a firm financial basis. The 
management of moneyed institutions and corporations has claimed a share of his attention for 
the last twenty years. In 1872, he was counsel, and in 1S75, was chosen corporator and 
trustee of the Bridgeport Savings Bank, and has held these positions continuouslv to the 
present time. 

As a speaker and author, outside of his profession, Mr. Thompson has gained an honor- 
able name for himself. In recognition of his ability, Yale College conferred the degree of 
Master of Arts upon him in 1871. None who were present will ever forget his patriotic 
defence of Washington and Grant against the aspersions of his own minister made at a 
public service : it showed the instincts of his heart, and was greath' to his credit. He has 
deli\-ered addresses on numerous occasions, but petdiaps that at the two hundred and fiftieth 
anniversary of the founding of Stratford was among the most notable. The closing para- 
graph is an example of his pleasing yet forcible style : 

Old Stratford as an agricultural and old-fashioned commercial ])Iace, held its own, but when the great 
West compelled Connecticut to turn to manufacturing and invention, Stratford fell behind. Mrs. Kirk truly 
says: "The village has never been stirred b}- those uneasy activities which overturn other New England towns," 
or if such an impulse has been felt, ".Stratford has cast off its unruly suburbs with their enterprises, industries 
and ambitions." 

Stratford has retained in her life and manners most of the old time customs; a marked equality and high 
average of moral and intellectual manhood ; homes of comfort and peace, of plain living and deep thinking, 
in which few are very rich or very poor ; and a people interested in public affairs. The people here prac- 
ticed civil service reform before it became the dogma of parties. From 1650 to 1835, there were only ten town 
clerks — leading citizens of the town — Joseph Hawley, Capt. John Minor, I.ieut. Joseph Curtis, Deacon John 
Thompson, Robert Fairchild, Robert Walker, .\arou Benjamin, Elijah Ufford, Silas Burton and David Brooks. 
For 52i years between 1803 and 1857, David Brooks was postmaster. But I must close, omitting much I should 
like to speak of. What is the real significance of this day's work? In calling to remembrance the doings of 
our fathers, we honor them and ourselves. They found this place a wilderness, filled with savage beasts and 
men. They subdued and converted it into a paradise. But it was not for that they came hither. History 
teaches us that when liberty and law were tritimphant in England, Englishmen ceased to emigrate; and that 
for 150 3'ears after 1640, there were but few accessions to New England. Our fathers came and did their work 
here for liberty and law. 

Read Kennan's story of Russia's treatment of her freedom loving sons in Siberia, and learn what a hate- 
ful thing despotism is. The Stuarts were as bad as the Czars. Libert)- and law have been preserved to us. 
Shall we preserve them intact? The insidious forces of despotism are constantly at work under new forms; 
but we can and must resist them. The maxim, " .\ people without morals may acquire liberty, but without 
morals they cannot preserve it," I believe is true; and, if so, a serious duty devolves upon us and our suc- 
cessors. Aided by the precepts and exatnples of our truly noble ancestry, we ought not to fail ; but of late 
certain forces have been slowly working a change in the habits and morals of our people. We must not be 
deluded. Liberty without wisdom and virtue maj' be the greatest of evils. Human nature is alike everywhere. 
It is a moral influence, which, with the blessing of God, has here formed a state of society so eminently 
desirable. The same influence which has formed it is indispensable to its preservation. 

Nov. 21, 1867, Mr. Thompson was married to ilarie Louise, datighter of James and 
Katherine (Barry) Willcox ; her parents being of New York families. Mr. Willco.x was, 
at that time, president of the Willcox & Gibbs Sewing ^Machine Company, and had a 
country residence at Stamford. Five children were the result of this union, of whom there 
are living only James Willcox Thompson, a graduate of Yale College, '90, and of the 
University of Tennessee, '92, now a lawyer, and in the state secretary's office, and 
Katherine Barry Thompson, a graduate of B. H. S., '92. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 287 



^IXOR, WILLIAM THOMAS, of Stamford, ex-governor of Connecticut, was born 
ill thai town, Oct. 3, 1815, and died there Oct. 13, 1889. 

The earliest historic ancestor of the Minors in England, says the " Biograph- 
ical Kncyclopcdia of Connecticut and Rhode Island," was a loyal subject of 
King Edward III., named Bullnian, who lived on the Mendippe Hills in Somer- 
setshire, and who followed the occupation of a miner. About 1350, while the sovereign was 
on his wa^• to France, Bullnian provided him with an escort, and received grateful recognition 
of his services in the change of his surname to ]\Iiner or Minor, and in the bestowment of 
an appropriate coat of arms. His first American ancestor was Thomas Minor, who emigrated 
from England in the ci)mpany of John Winthrop. Arriving at Stonington about the year 
1646, he .settled with his fellow-colonists at Pequot in 1647. 

Cjo\ernor Minor was the second son of Simeon Hinman and Catherine (Lockwood) 
Minor of Oreenwich. Entering Yale College at fourteen years of age, he graduated from 
that institution with the class of 1834, and among his classmates were several bright young 
men who afterwards rose to distinction in various walks in life. Much of what the youthful 
graduate had learned in school and college he successfully imparted to his pupils as a teacher, 
and found in that pursuit an excellent preparation for future professional and political life. 
His aptitude for the latter was apparent to his fellow townsmen, who in\ited him to deliver 
the oration on the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence before he had attained his 
majority. During the five years of his experience as teacher in his native town, he began 
the study of law under the guidance of his father, who was one of the principal legal 
practitioners in Fairfield Count\'. Adniilted to the bar in 1841, he commenced practice in 
Stamford, and successfully prosecuted its duties until July, 1864, when he was appointed 
consul-general at Havana by President Lincoln. 

His political career began April, 1841, with his election by the citizens of Stamford to 
represent them in the lower house of the state legislature. So satisfactory did the service 
rendered them prove, that he was again returned by his constituents for three consecutive 
years; and again in 1846, 1847, 1852 and in 1868, he was sent by them to the state House 
of Representatives. Between the two latter years, in 1854, he was chosen to ser\e in the 
Senate of the state, and was also appointed by the legislature of that year to the office of 
judge of the county court for Fairfield County. Promotion to the highest official position in 
the commonwealth speedily followed, for in 1855, he was elected governor of Connecticut, 
and was reelected in 1856. 

The vast immigration of foreigners to our great republic is not an unmixed good. Evils 
are associated with it whose operation the wisest legislation is needed to neutralize. The 
social, political and military organizations, composed e.xchisi\ely of members of foreign birth, 
had challenged his attention and were brought to the thoughtful notice of the legislature in 
his message of 1855. "Combinations," he remarked, "of our alien population — .social, 
political, and military- — are existing all over the country. So far as the social combinations 
do not interfere with or disturb the rights of others, they should remain unmolested. The 
political organizations, so far as they are now existing, composed of naturalized citizens, 
cainiot be disturbed ; but I do not believe that military companies, to consist entirely of foreign- 
born citizens, should be formed. Everything about such a company reminds its members, 
not that they are American citizens, but that they owe allegiance yet to their native land." 
In the summer of the same year. Governor Minor ascertained that there were several military' 
companies belonging to the .state militia that were exclusively composed of naturalized citizens, 
and of men who had not been naturalized at all. He therefore issued an order, under which 



288 REPRESENTATI\-E MEN 

such companies were disbanded, and their arms and equipments returned to the state arsenal. 
Nor was he less philosophical and far-seeing in his opinions of the common schools of Connecti- 
, cut. In them he saw the factors of true American nationality, and the surest safeguard 
against anarchy and bad government. Consequently, he ev^er felt the deepest interest in 
their welfare, and strove, both as voter and legislator, to make them ideally excellent: "Second 
to none, equal to the best." His was the honor of being the first governor of Connecticut 
to recommend to the legislature that the common schools should be made free to all the 
children of the state. "I shall cheerfully cooperate with yoir," he said, "in making our 
common schools free; for such, in my opinion, the true policy of our go\-ernment requires 
tliat they should 1)e." The result of his labors, and of the efforts of other philanthropic 
co-laborers, has been to rai.se the common schools of Connecticut to a state of efficiency that 
is probabh' not surpassed in any state, and is certainly unapproached by many of them. 

Below the so-called practical philanthropies of ordinary legislation lies a wretched class, 
ignored by most of the governments of the world, and hitherto but slightly noticed in 
America. It consists of the imbecile and idiotic. Governor Minor brought these uufoitunates 
to the attention of the legislature, spoke of the good that had been accomplished elsewhere, 
and reconnnended that body to "take the necessary steps to ascertain the number of idiotic 
in the state, their present condition, the probabilities of improvement, and everything 
requisite to enable a future legislature to act wisely and humanely with reference to thi.s 
class." 

In July, 1864, Mr. Minor was appointed consul-general at Havana, in the island of 
Cuba, by President Lincoln, and entered upon his duties in December following. The post 
was one of great trust and responsibility, and required unusual discretion and firmness on 
the part of its incumbent. Havana was the resort of a large number of persons from the 
rebellious southern states, who were engaged in blockade-running and in other undertakings 
iirjurious to the commercial and national interests of the United States. Constant care and 
watchfulness were needed on the part of the consul-general to thwart their destructive plans. 
About the ist of June, 1S65, the formidable Confederate ram, "Stonewall Jackson," entered 
the harbor. Friends and enemies alike supposed that she would overmatch and possibly 
destroy the entire United States fleet at Key West, sweep every national vessel from the 
Gulf of Mexico, and raise the blockade of Galveston, New Orleans, and the entire Mississippi 
river. Had these expectations been realized, new life would have l^een given to the rebellion, 
and the war for the preservation of the Union been indefinitely protracted. Mr. Minor 
therefore resolved to prevent her departure from the port, and through the kind offices of 
the Spanish Captain-General Dulce, then in command in Cuba, succeeded in the endeavor. 
The "ram" was surrendered to General Dulce, and by him afterward given up to the 
United States government. On the day after her surrender to that officer, a powerful 
armament, consisting of two monitors and five other vessels of war, commanded by Admiral 
Godon, steamed into the harbor, prepared to defend the interests of the United States in the 
event of any emergency. That fleet had been dispatched by the government, in consequence 
of information forwarded by Consul-General Minor. Fortunately coercive measures had been 
rendered unnecessary by previous negotiations and the surrender of the vessel. ^Ir. ]\Iinor 
continued at his post until April, 1867, when he resigned, returned home, and resumed the 
practice of his profession. The manifold mischiefs which afterward grew out of the policy 
of President Andrew Johnson \indicated Mr. Minor's dissent from the same, and the conse- 
quent relinquishment of his office. 

In the spring of 1868, Mr. Minor was again elected to the legislature, and gave his best 
efforts to accomplish a much needed reform. It was generally believed that electoral frauds 



OF CONNECTICUT, /Sdr-iSg^. 289 

were quite coinmon uiuk-r the system of votiutj then prevalent. Wliether the belief were 
justified by facts or not, it is certain that the system then in \ognc afforded facilities for 
fraud, that any political party misjht utilize so far as seemed to be desirable. That system 
was peculiar to Connecticut : allowing votes to be cast iu any town of the state on a 
certificate from the town clerk of some other town that A. B. had been admitted an elector 
of the .state, the ]:)resumption beino; that A. 15. was the person presenting the certificate. It 
was asserted that in different towns in the state large numbers of such certificates had been 
obtained in the names of persons deceased, and of persons removed from the state, and 
fraudulent votes cast upon the same. 

The legislature was so clearly convinced of the necessity of reform at this point, that it 
appointed a joint committee, of which Governor Minor was chairman on the part of the 
House, to investigate the matter and report appropriate legi.slation. The work thus confided 
to the cominillce was performed with thoroughness and zeal, and an entirely new electoral 
registry law, which abolished the vicious practices complained of, was drafted and reported 
to the legislature. A heated contest occurred over its pas.sage. Those opposed to it claimed 
that it was a partisan measure, and intended to operate iu favor of one political party. 
How this could be was not apparent to an outside observer. It evidently operates with 
equit\- on both parties. If any of its provisions seem to be burdensome, both parties are 
equally affected by them. It impartially imposes the same liabilities and obligations upon 
all citizens. Its working has effectually checked the old practices, which, if left unchecked, 
would ha\e eaten out the very life of popular institutions. It was no small service to the 
latter that was rendered by the legislature iu the final adoption of the bill. 

In 1868, Governor Minor was appointed by the legislature one of the judges of the 
superior court of the state, for the term of eight years, and entered upon his duties in Aitgust 
of the same year. His judicial administration was characterized by his usual ability, dili- 
gence, fidelity and harmony with the unwritten law of the state. The latter wisely divorces 
all judicial functionaries from current politics, so far as active management and advocacy are 
concerned. The judges of Connecticut have always voted as thc\- pleased, but have con- 
scientiously abstained from attendance on political meetings and participation in partisan 
politics. The action of Judge Minor was in harmony with the uniform precedent established 
by his predecessors and contemporaries. For reasons satisfactory- to himself, he concluded 
not to fulfil his entire official term, and, in 1873, tendered to the legislature his resignation, 
to take effect on the 15th of November of that year. After that time he was a resident 
of Stamford, addicted to congenial pursuits, and wholly abstinent from legal practice. 

Somewhat pertinent to Governor Minor's dissent from President Johnson's political 
measures is the statement of the fact that in 1864, he was a delegate at large from Con- 
necticut to the National Republican Convejition, held iu Baltimore, on the 9th of June, 
1864, and was also the chairman of his delegation. He then voted in favor of the renomi- 
natiou of Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency, and of the nomination of Andrew Johnson 
for the Vice- Presidency. Connecticut was the first state called upon that gave a united vote 
to any candidate for the latter office, and its twelve votes cast unanimously in favor of the 
candidate from Tennessee contributed largely to his nomination, if, indeed, it did not assure it. 

Governor Minor was married iu .\pril, 1849, to Mary C, second daughter of John W. 
Leeds of Stamford, a gentleman who was president of the Stamford Bank from the date of 
its organization in 1834, to that of his death in March, 1878. Five children, of whom two 
are now living, were the fruit of this union. One of the survivors is a daughter, named 
Emily C, and the other is a son, Charles W., who is a practicing lawyer in the city of 
New York. 




290 REPRESEyTATIl'E J/E.V 



|ENDEE, LUCIUS JUvSTIN, of Hartford, for twenty-two years president of 
the ^?Jtna Fire Insurance Conipan)-, was born in Andover, Conn., Jnly 13, 1818. 
He died Sept. 4, 1888, having jnst passed the scriptural limit of three score 
years and ten. 

"The kindly face which looks upon the reader from the opposite page," 
said the Insitraucc Journal^ "has looked its last upon this world ; but it has left an impression 
upon the business and social life of the connnuuity which will outlast the work of the engraver. 
That was a false philosophy of human life which taught that ' The evil men do lives after 
them, the good is oft interred with their bones.' The good and evil both live, the one to 
spread untold blessings, the other to scatter measureless evils. .\s the pebble dropped in the 
pool sends ever widening circles to the farthest shore, as the imprisoned fern leaves its clear 
cut impress on the enduring rock, so a human life goes out of the ranks of busy men, but it 
leaves behind it an influence which endures. There is no doubt about the kind of influence 
]\Ir. Heudee's life has left with us. Without touching upon his family and social life, 
which were singularly beautiful, there is enough in his business career to bear the witness of 
'Well done, good and faithful servant.' " 

Lucius J. Hendee was the son of Eliphalet and Amelia (Babcock) Hendee. He was 
broueht up with the surroundings of a country village and a country store in Connecticut. 
It has been a much disputed question whether this is the best school in which to train men 
for subsequent careers of usefulness, but when it brings out such men as Mr. Hendee, one is 
inclined to vote in favor of the country store. The moral and mental fibre of the subject 
doubtless has much to do with the outcome of such training, but it is a school in which boys 
learn to think, and that, in the hurrying life of our larger cities, is not a general accom- 
plishment. Perhaps it is well that the future insurance president passed through this process 
of development. 

His first experience as an underwriter was derived amid the most ordinary circumstances. 
Abner Hendee, his uncle, carried on a miscellaneous store of the times, and in addition was 
the local ageui. of the ^Etna Fire Insurance Company in Hebron. From 1836 to 1852, Lucius 
Avas his uncle's general assistant, and by daily contact with him gained a knowledge of the 
rudiments of the business, and imbibed the solid principles which guided him on to paths of 
usefulness and eminence. In the last named year he succeeded to his uncle's business, 
including the insurance agency. He watched over the risks he assumed for the company 
with the greatest care for several j'ears, meeting with the success which always follows earnest 
endeavor, but without indulging in any anticipations of further exploits in the field of under- 
writing. The truth of the familiar text: "He that is faithful over a few things shall be 
made ruler over man\- things," was illustrated in his case. His careful methods and sterling 
intep-rity, his intelligence and skill in handling cases, had attracted attention at the home 
office, and secured him numerous friends. When the position of secretary became vacant in 
1 86 1, he was chosen to fill the office. It was a wonderful and extraordinary promotion from 
a country agencv to the secretaryship of the best known of American insurance companies, 
but the compliment was well deserved. Executive ability and judgment of the highest order 
were required of him during the whole time he occupied the office, as it covered the trying 
years of the most stupendous war that has ever disturbed the affairs of a civilized nation. The 
records of the company show what he accomplished. The .Etna was a large company even 
then, having agencies in nearly every city and town in the Union, and its movements were 
watched with the keenest interest. Competitors who followed where it led did well, for the 
new secretary was a masterful man, in every way equal to the needs of the hour. His growth, 
as well as that of the company, was remarkable during these years. 





UAl^. 



OF COXXECTICUT, iS6i-jSg4. 291 

On the death of Mr. Thomas A. Alexander in 1866, ]\Ir. Hendee was very naturally 
elevated to the presidenc\-. To have chosen any one else would simply have been mad- 
ness on the part of the directoi's. This office he held by successive elections until his death 
in 1888. Besides a thorouoh knowledge of accounts and of financial matters generally, Mr., 
Hendee brought to the service of the ,^tna a practical acquaintance with what was then, 
and is still, a prominent feature of its business, country risks. What was of still greater 
value in the management of an insurance company, he brought a clear head and a wonderful 
faculty for keeping his own counsel. The ^-Etna had assets of about two and a quarter 
millions when he became its .secretary, and at his death it had nearly ten millions. Its 
income in the first named year was $1,850,000, and in the last year of his life it was 
$3,043,000. Under his eiificient management the ^5Stna became the largest fire insurance 
corapanv in the United States. Its name was ever the synon)-m of impregnable strength, 
unvaried fair dealing and wise progressiveness. 

Every officer of a successful insurance company works his business life into that sticcess. 
The condition of the ^Etna at the time of his decease is a monirment to 'Six. Hendee's life 
work. There was never a suspicion that in the dealings of the .Etna under his adminis- 
tration, either with the policy holders or with his associates in business, that there was aught 
but the fullest measure of justice. He was a man, who, in the words of the psalmist, 
" sw^eareth to his own hurt and changeth not." By his genial disposition and many acts 
of kindlv consideration he endeared himself to all his associates, whether in the executive 
department or in the large force of employees in the office. He was regarded by all as a 
friend. 

Energetic, and seemingly concentrated as ]Mr. Hendee's efforts were to make the .Etna 
a magnificent success, let it not be supposed that it engrossed all his attention. Soon after 
succeeding to the business of his uncle in 1852, his active mind grappled with other 
problems. The condition of the countiy was then in a .state of effei-vescence. Whigs, 
Democrats, Republicans, Abolitionists and Free Soilers were striving for the ascendancy in 
the councils of the nation. A lover of liberty and equality, Mr. Hendee espoused the 
principles of the Republican party. In 1856, he was elected to the state Senate and was 
reelected the following year. He was elected state treasurer on the ticket with Governor 
Buckingham in 1859, and with him was reelected the two following j-ears. During these 
five years of ser\ice at the State House he had not lost his hold upon his insurance 
interests. While he probably had no thought of ever occupying the presidential chair of 
the ^Etna, somebody else was thinking for him, and in 1861, after completing his third 
term as state treasurer, he was chosen secretary of the ^Etna. 

The positions of trust which he might have held in Hartford were simply limited by 
his time and strength. Mr. Hendee was interested in the subject of insurance in all 
legitimate forms. He was a charter member and until his death a director in the Hartford 
Steam Boiler Inspection & Insurance Company, and by his wise counsel assisted materially 
in the success attained by that flourishing institution. He was for several years vice- 
president of the Charter Oak Bank, and also a director in the Security Company. Mr. 
Hendee's religious affiliations were with the Protestant Episcopal church, and his religious 
home was in St. John's, Hartford. Almost from the time of his coming to the city he 
held the office of vestryman, and for many years he served as treasurer of the church. 
Into his work for his Master he put the same energy and ability he used in building up 
the ^Etna ; and the parish was greatly benefitted by his labors. 



292 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

Many kind and complimentary allusions were made to Mr. Hendee bv the various 
journals of the day at the time of his decease. His memory can be honored in no better 
way than by showing the esteem in which he was held by his contemporaries. The Hart- 
ford Conraut said editorially: 

The death of Mr. L. J. Hendee, president of the JBtna Insurance Company, takes from social and bnsiness 
circles in Hartford a familiar figure. Mr. Hendee has been for nearly a quarter of a century identified with 
one of the largest financial institutions of Hartford, and his integrity and foresight have done much to main- 
tain and add to the Etna's splendid reputation for soundness and fair dealing. Mr. Hendee leaves behind 
him a good name without spot of any sort. He was universally respected and esteemed — a quiet, useful, 
wise and honorable man. In all respects he was a good citizen and a good man. 

A paragraph from an article in the Hartford Times says : 

Mr. Hendee's record as a business man is one of unimpeachable integrity. He was scrupulouslv honest 
even in the merest trifles. In character he was sincere and upright, a man of the finest moral sensibilities 
and of almost womanly gentleness of disposition. Though peculiarly modest, his was a character of noble 
manliness. He was one of the best of story tellers. His manner was deliberate, but every word counted, 
and his \-arns had alwa\-s a point of application, as well as of contagious jollity. 

At the opening of this sketch a suggestive quotation was made from the Insurance foiiriial. 
All the papers devoted to this subject contained feeling allusions to the vacancv created 
b\' the death of Mr. Hendee in the fire underwriting world. Speaking of his appearance 
the Standard said : 

Mr, Hendee was a man of commanding appearance, and his massive head, clear cut features, and expres- 
sive eyes, are well portraj-ed in the likeness that heads these lines. There was something in his physical and 
mental make-up that suggested the broad guage statesman of a former generation. If he appeared somewhat 
stern to strangers, it was a sternness which applied only to his high sense of rectitude, justice and honor, 
which were coupled with a peculiarly kind and gentle disposition, and an unvarying considerateness, to which 
all his associates of the .Etna Insurance Company will bear sorrowing testimon3', itot less than his many 
friends and neighbors. 

The closing scene of his life is beautifully told by the Arj^KS : 

At home, not many miles from his birthplace, amid the scenes of his successful labors, within sight of 
their beauties and within sound of their music, surrounded by friends who had known him long and loved him 
well, he died as he would have wished to die — calmly and peacefully — ripe in j-ears and riper still in manly 
and generous deeds. Toward the last, the fine old face, always reflecting peace and good-will to his fellows, 
shone with a new and more perfect light, which came direct from Him whose servant he was, and in whose 
vineyard he had long been a faithful worker. 

Excellent and appropriate resolutions were passed by the various companies and the 
church to which 'Sir. Hendee belonged. Lack of space prevents the insertion of even the 
tribute of his associates of the .-Etna Company, though it was the best of them all. 

Nov. 23, 1852, Mr. Hendee was married to Adeline E. Whitmore of Middle Haddam. 
His worthy wife pa.ssed on to her reward in 1884. Of their five children all are yet living. 
Abner, who is successor to Crittenden &: Co., New Haven ; Richard, now in business in 
Birmingham; Lucius, and two daughters, Hetta E., and Sarah J., who live at the old 
home in Hartford. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 293 



HRRY, ORRIS SANFORD, of Nonvalk, United States senator from Connectient, 
was born in Betliel, Conn., Ang. 15, 1823. His father, vStarr Ferry, was a 
prominent hat niannfacturer in his native town. His mother's maiden name was 
Esther Blacknian. His superior mental endowments became apparent in earlv 
}onth. He was apprenticed to his father's trade, and subsequently clierished 
just pride in the proficiency he had attained in that calling. As chairman of the Senate com- 
mittee on patents, in the last session of Congress he attended, he proved himself to be in 
advance of advocates and experts in thorough knowledge of that branch of manufacture. L,ove 
of books and passion for study took possession of him in early life, and he left his trade to 
enter upon a course of preparation for college. At the age of fourteen he was sent by his 
father to a preparatory school at Wilton, Conn., in 1837, and completed his preliminarv studies 
at New Haven in 1840, under the instruction of I\rr. Harvey Olmstead. Judges of character 
saw in him a \outh of rare talents and promise. While others acquired knowledge laboriously, 
to him it was merely pastime. In 1840, at the age of seventeen, he entered Yale College, and 
while there "his fine powers of mind soon found appreciative recognition, particularly in the 
department of literature and debate. He early became one of the editors of the Yale Literary 
IVIagazine ; was also a successful competitor for the Townsend literary prize ; and uniformly 
stood among the very highest in anything that required elaborate or extemporaneous address. 
His prestige thus gained in letters, together with his hearty social qualities and his fine 
personal appearance, secured for him a marked popularity, as well in circles without as within 
the college." 

" He graduated in 1844, at the age of twenty-one," says an article in the "Biographical 
Encyclopedia of Connecticut and Rhode Island," "and at once commenced the studv of law 
with Thomas B. Osborne of Fairfield. One year later he entered the office of the late Chief 
Justice Thomas B. Butler, in Norwalk. In two years from that time he was admitted to the 
bar, and became the partner of his former preceptor. His professional associations were most 
fortunate. Judge Butler was remarkable for his legal learning, varied acquirements, love of 
justice, and generous social qualities. The bar of Fairfield and the adjoining counties had 
many eminent lawyers. There were the venerable Charles Hawley, Roger Sherman Baldwin, 
the IngersoUs, Judges Butler, Seymour, Dutton — all learned in the mysteries of jurisprudence, 
the first two becoming chief justices of our high court. Besides these there were a score of 
younger men — Minor, Beardsley, Loomis, White, Carter, Beach, Harrison and others near his 
own age, of rare ability." Address of H. H. Starkweather on the Life and Character of 
O. S. Ferry; corrected and read by James A. Garfield, p. 62. Surrounded by this array of 
cultured and disciplined talent, it speaks volumes in favor of the young practitioner's industrj^ 
and talent, to state that within a few years from his admission to the bar he had placed himself 
at the head of his profession. 

In 1S47, he received the commission of lieutenant-colonel of the Twelfth Division of 
Connecticut militia ; in 1847, he was appointed judge of probate for the District of Xorwalk ; 
in April, 1855, and again in 1856, he was elected to the state Senate; in the same year he was 
appointed state attorney for Fairfield County, and held that position until 1859, when he was 
elected representative to Congress from the Fourth District of Connecticut. In Congress he 
served on the committee on Revolutionary claims, and on the committee of thirty-three on the 
rebellious states. Tlie House then embraced many men of marked character and ability. The 
great leaders of the South, schooled in politics and accustomed to rule, were there. The North 
also was represented by niany men of great ability, but mostly new to the public service. ;Mr. 
Ferry took a conspicuous part in the discussions of the body from the very outset. His opin- 



294 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

ions and positions were identical with those of our most thoughtful and practiced statesmen. 
His analyses of the state of the country were skilful and just ; and his views of the duty 
of the national government such as were amply justified by the following march of events. 
How much of the mar\elous effectiveness then and aftenvards revealed in the service of 
his countrj' had its origin in personal consecration to the highest duties and noblest ejids need 
not be here discussed. In the autumn of 1859, he made a public profession of religion, and 
united with the First Congregational church of Norwalk. That he had not done so before was 
not owing to real indifference or prejudice, but to the strength of his propensities to sense and 
sin. The power of these was broken by Divine grace, and he entered into the liberty where- 
with Christ makes His people free. Thenceforward, as he once remarked to Senator Wadleigh, 
he tried to live as though the next moment would usher him to the bar of the Eternal 
Judge. In this frame of mind he found nothing inconsistent but everything that was con- 
gruous with the service of his troubled and imperilled country. He was an eminently sincere 
man — sincere in his professions . and sincere in all his actions. This sincerit)- was manifest 
in his worship in the sanctuary; in the Sunday school, where he was a faithful and edifying 
instructor ; in the place of social pra^-er, where his voice was often heard in remarks and 
fervent petition ; in occasional religious lectures, wherein he used all his wealth of scriptural 
learning, of general and critical knowledge, to unfold and enforce the truths of Christ and 
of his revealed religion. Humility was as obvious as sincerity. Mind and heart and life 
were wholly given to Christ. The Rev. Dr. Childs, a former pastor of Senator Ferry, wrote 
of him in the Congrcgationalist^ Dec. 9, 1875 : 

It is true that in early life he was skeptical; but the transition from skepticism to faith was real and 
thorough. His conversion was as clear as that of Paul. In the latter part of the year 1865, he delivered a course 
of lectures, rapidly prepared, on the evidences of Christianity. These, I think, indicated the working of his 
own mind in passing from the darkness of unbelief to the Christian faith. The great fact on which he rested 
was the resurrection of Christ. He had satisfied himself, as a lawyer, as an investigator of evidence, that, as a 
historic fact, Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. That settled everything. The Bible was inspired because it 
had upon it the seal of the risen Christ. Christianity, with all its facts and doctrines was true, because it was 
grounded in Him who was dead and is alive again. This was to him a real and living faith. He grew in it and by it. 

The State of the nation at the epoch of his entrance upon congressional ditties was such 
as to call forth all the powers of his richly and rarely endowed nature. A sagacious counsellor 
and a wise statesman, he was also an eloquent advocate and orator. The magnetic and con- 
vincing power with which he spoke placed him amongst the masters of forensic and popular 
address. He was uniformly equal to the emergency. No voice was more potent in rallying 
the masses than his. No counter force was more feared by political opponents than that which 
he broitght to bear. Nowhere did he speak " with the counsel of the statesman and the 
authority of the general in war" to greater effect than in the Senate of the United States; 
and nowhere was appreciation of his colossal merit more genuine and emphatic. During the 
congressional session of 1875, at the end of a fifteen minutes' speech on the Louisiana question, 
Senator Schurz remarked to a nuitual friend, " Poor Ferry ! Ill and weak as he is, he is head 
and shotilders above any other man in the Senate in point of intellectual force." 

Mr. Ferr}' was preeminently a man of convictions. He decided and acted according 
to his conviction of what was clearly and broadly right. Questionable causes, as a lawyer, 
he positi\-ely refused to espouse. More than once he said to those who, with much entreaty 
and gold, sought to enlist his services: "No, gentlemen, I think you are not in the right, 
and I will have nothing to do with your case." Such a man could not possibly be in any 
other than a resolutely hostile attitude to slavery and secession. On the 24th of February, 
1861, he made an earnest speech in Congress, in which he aflfirmed that the southern leaders 
demanded that the Constitution be so amended as to give protection to slave property ever}-- 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18(^4. 295 

wliere in the United States, while they refuse to pledge that even such an amendment, 
with the repeal of the personal liberty bills, should constitute a final and satisfactory adjust- 
ment. "To buy transient peace, even if possible, at the price of this amendment, is to 
enact a dangerotis precedent. Any new denaand will be enforced by repeated secession. 
A compromise now is but the establishment of sedition as an elementary principle 

in our s\-stem There is no course left but for the government to vindicate its 

dignity bv an exhibition of its strength." The old Puritan spirit rose in him with lion-like 
majesty and force, and calmly resolved on vigorous and prompt action. He ser\-ed in the 
Cassius M. Clay guard, which patrolled Washington day and night, in the season of alarm 
and peril, before the arrival of troops. In June he was commissioned as colonel of the Fifth 
Connecticut \^olunteers. In March, 1862, he crossed the Potomac, at Williamsburgh, with 
his regiment, advanced into \'irgiuia, drove the enemy from Winchester, and occupied the 
place. Soon after that he was appointed brigadier- general, and took command of the brigade 
under General Shields, whose division was ordered to join McDowell. In the severe and 
sanguinary frays that followed. General Ferr}^ bore himself with distinguished gallantry, 
earned brilliant reputation by ser\-ices during the war, and at its close devoted his best 
energies to the political and social welfare of the country he would have died to sa\'e. 

When the war for the presen-ation of the Union ended, he resumed the practice of his 
profession; but in the next year, 1866, was elected to the Senate of the United States, in 
which he served one full term, and to which he was reelected in 1872. He entered the 
Senate at the beginning of the Fortieth Congress. The problem of reconstruction was to be 
solved. By man}- he was held to be unduly conservative in his tendencies. It is true that 
he early fa\ored large amnesty to those who had been in rebellion against the government; 
but it is also true that he always maintained with masterly ability not only the right of the 
nation, but its duty to secure liberty, enfranchisement, and civil rights to those who had 
been slaves. He wrote considerably for the press. Many of his speeches were printed in 
the Congressional Globe, but otherwise he left no publications. Bribery and corruption never 
attempted to approach him, for sterling integrity elevated him beyond the reach of tempta- 
tion. "As a senator," said Mr. English of Connecticut, "he had a clear conception not 
only of the duties but the responsibilities of the position, and was fearless in the discharge 
of those duties." Senator Bayard, of Delaware, affirmed that "his censure of what he 
deemed corrupt, dishonest, and unworthy, was unhesitating and unsparing. And he never 
permitted the garb of party to shelter a guilty man from his just denunciation. For six 
years we serv'ed together upon the committee on private land claims, where cases involving 
the title or possession of extensive and valuable bodies of land came frequently before us. 
His intelligence, acumen, and fine legal and judicial abilities were in this way made known 
to me ; and reports of important cases, comprehending questions of law and fact of a cona- 
plicated nature, where lapse of time and fraud had combined to obscure truth and justice, 
were made by him, and are on the files of the Senate, in which his vigorous and instinctive!}' 
honest mind dissolved all doubts, and arrayed the merits of the case in clear and orderly 
precision." 

Honest, unswerving sense of right was his grand characteristic. It led him into courses 
of action opposed to popular convictions, and provoked warm indignation in his constituents 
at times. But indignation gave place to admiration when they saw that he wanted and 
intended to be and to do right under all circumstances. Considerations of personal friendship 
had no weight with him when opposed to ascertained duty. There was no member of the 
national Senate for whom he had more profound regard than for Charles Sumner. But he 
did not hesitate to oppose that great and cherished friend when personal conviction of right 



296 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

and duty impelled liiin so to do. On the ajtli of January, 1874, he spoke in fearless and 
uncompromising language in opposition to the Civil Rights Bill, and drew from ^Ir. Sumner 
the pathetic and deploring remark: "Mr. Ferry, your speech is far the most damaging blow 
my measure has yet received." Genuine moral courage was required to strike that blow, and 
that moral courage was one of the crowning excellencies of his character. 

His last speech in tlie United States Senate was his uncommonly eloquent and brilliant 
address in memory of his old colleague, William A. Buckingham. His own end was drawing 
near. Leaving Washington, shortly before the close of the Forty-third Congress, he reached 
Norwalk in a state of extreme exhaustion. A new method of medical treatment in Brooklyn, 
N. Y., was tried, but failed to give needed relief. His disease was softening or decay of the 
spinal marrow. Pain was excruciating, agony uncontrollable. Even then a few of Christ's 
tender words from the Gospel of St. John would quiet him. On the 20th of November, 1875, 
his friends and physicians bore him tenderly back to Connecticut that he might die in his own 
home. The following day was one of November gloom that passed away as the evening drew 
nigh, and the day closed in all the glory of a gorgeous sunset. That unearthly glory was 
symbolic of the splendors that enwrapt the soul of Orris S. Ferry, in his departure to the 
Paradise of God. He died on the Lord's day, Nov. 21, 1875, at 2.15 P. ii., aged fifty-two 
years, three months, and seventeen da}-s. 

In his death the country lost one of its purest and ablest statesmen ; the commonwealth 
of Connecticut, which proudly reckons many distinguished sons among her jewels, the peer of 
the most gifted of them; the legal profession, one of its soundest counsellors and most eloquent 
advocates; the communit}' in which he lived, an accomplished Christian gentleman; and his 
family such a husband and father as only such a husband could be to a loved and loving wife, 
and such a father to an affectionate and devoted daughter. 

Senator Feriy was married on the I7tli of ]\Iay, 1847, to Charlotte C, datighter of 
Governor Clark Bissell. One daughter was the fruit of their happy and auspicious union. 




PERRY, LEWIS, the sixth child and second son of Daniel Gilbert and Harriet 
Frances (Pelton) Sperry, was born on East Windsor Hill, in the town of South 
Windsor, Jan. 23, 1848. 

His father, a farmer, born at Sperry's Farms, Woodbridge, Conn., was a 
lineal descendant of Richard Sperry, so well I'emembered for his protection to 
the regicides in 1661. Other paternal ancestors of the New Haven colony were Matthew 
Gilbert Todd, Cooper Heaton or Eaton, Wilmot and Carrington. Harriet Frances Pelton 
was daughter to James Pelton and Sophia Gaylord. Sophia Gaylord was a descendant of 
Dea. William Gaylord, Matthew Grant, Daniel Clark, Humphrey Prior, John Drake, 
Benedictus Alvord, Thomas ]\Ioore, John Osborn of Windsor, and from the Edwards family 
of Hartford, the Lathrop of Norwich, and the Pease of Enfield, Conn. James Pelton was 
descended from John Pelton of Boston, 1634, and from ^Margaret Thompson, a Scotch widow 
with nine children who sailed from Ireland in 171S, in the fleet of five ships commanded by 
Captain Temple, bound for Boston. 

None of Lewis Sperry's ancestors arrived in New England later than 1730, all became 
at once land owners in the varied towns which they chose for their homes, and all were 
farmers, whatever other occupation or profession they may have joined with their agricultural 
pursuits, and in every war, from the Pequot war to the Civil Rebellion, some ancestor or 
near relative fought on the winning side. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 297 

Mr. Spern-'s boyhood was spent on a farm in the Connecticut vallev where beauty of 
scenery and fertility of soil frees the fanner from many of the hardships and pri^■ations which 
pertain to that occupation in more remote or barren reoions. He attended ))oth public and 
private schools in the neighborhood. At the age of thirteen he was sent to New Haven 
and was a member of the family and school of the well known teacher, Mr. Sidney A. 
Thomas. Later he entered Monson Academy, was graduated in 1869. The succeeding four 
j-ears were spent in Amherst. He was popular in college, was an editor of the Amiicrst 
Studctil, and an active member of the debating societies, but never, at that time or since, 
has he joined an}' secret society. He perhaps gave more time to the stud\- and practice of 
debate and oratory, than to the regular studies of the college course. He won several prizes 
as a speaker and debater, and the first Hardy at his graduation in 1873. 

He immediately entered the law office of Waldo, Hul)bard & Hyde in Hartford, Conn. 
Judge Loren Waldo was an elderh* man of singular mildness and purit}- of character joined 
with marked ability in his profession. Daily intercourse with such a man could but give 
noble ideals of life to any youth coming under his influence. Gov. Richard D. Hubbard 
was then one of the foremost lawyers in the state, and ;\Ir. Alvan P. Hyde, both as a 
lawyer and as a man, was worthy to complete the firm. Here the student could see exem- 
plified each day the highest requirements in the study of law and its most honorable 
application when practised as a profession. 

Admitted to the Hartford County bar in 1875, Air. Speri-}- the following }^ear joined 
with ex-Lieut. -Gov. George G. Sill in renting the chambers at 345 ALain street, and between 
Mr. Sill and IMr. Sperry began a friendship which time has only deepened. Here might 
be noted a strong trait in the character of Lewis Sperry — in his home, among his play- 
mates in the district school, at college, and with those whom he oftenest meets in the 
practice of his profession — he has formed deep and abiding friendships which evince no 
variableness nor shadow of turning. Since his entrance into public life Mr. Sperry, so far 
from forgetting his earlier friends, appears to feel for them even a tenderer regard, as for 
those who did not come with political popularity and will not depart with it. 

Tn 1876, Mr. Sperry represented his native town in the legislature and was of the 
committee for education. 

When the new coroner law went into effect in 1S83, he was appointed coroner for 
Hartford county, and had the difficult task of applying a law without precedents to guide 
him. The most notable case which came under his care while holding this office, was the 
explosion of the boilers in the Park Central Hotel. The coroner's finding and his courage 
and good judgment in holding the responsible parties guilty in this accident was noted by 
the New York and Boston papers, and editorial comment termed his a "model report." 

The capacity he showed for the administration of public affairs led to his selection as 
a candidate for Congress, and, after his nomination in 1890, his career can be culled from 
the public prints. 

The Hartford Times (Democrat), Sept. 30, 1890, said : "Lewis Sperry of .South Windsor, 
was nominated by the Democratic Congressional convention of the First District, this after- 
noon, by a vote of 74 to 32. Mr. Sperry is among the most capable lawyers of Hartford 
county, a young man of pure character and sound judgment." 

Counnenting on the nomination, the Hartford Post (Republican), of the same date 
remarked : " Mr. Sperry is a honorable gentleman, not nuich in politics, who is very little 
known outside of the innnediate vicinity of Hartford and Windsor. He will resemble nothing 
so much as a quiet, unemotional gentleman who has taken a ' flyer ' in the political market." 

After the election the Amherst Student took pride in saying : 



298 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Hon. Lewis Sperry ('73) will represent the First Connecticut District in the Fifty-second Congress, having 
defeated Simonds (Rep.) by 708. Mr. Sperry 's popularity is shown from the fact that two years ago Simonds 
carried the district by 813, making a gain for Mr. Sperry of 1521. Hartford city, where Mr. Sperry practices 
law, was carried by him by iri2, being the largest majority ever given a congressional candidate. .\mherst's 
new congressman, while in Amherst, captured many prizes, including the first Hardy. 

The Springfield Republican, of Nov. 9, 1890, remarked: 

It is seldom that a candidate of either part}' has been complimented so highly b\' the votes of his 
political opponents in the profession as has Mr. Sperry. He will not be so showy a man as Mr. Simonds, but 
,he will be a hard worker, which is his natural habit. 

For a con,s>^ressman .spending hi.s first winter at the national capital, Mr. Sperry had his 
full share of ofificial social life. His re-noniiuation was a foregone conclusion, and the Demo- 
cratic congressional convention simply carried ont the wishes of his constitnents in making 
him a candidate for a second term. His speech in accepting the nomination showed a 
thotightfnl consideration for the interests of his district. No Democrat had ever been elected 
to this district in a presidential year, and it was also a pecnliar condition of affairs that 
no congressman ever succeeded himself. First a Democrat, then a Republican, and then 
another Democrat, and then another Repnblican, conseqnently all the precedents of the 
past pointed to a Repnblican \-ictory. With the chances apparently against him, and the 
district almost a tie between Mr. Harrison and Mr. Clevelanl, Mr. Sperry won by the hand- 
.some majority of 540. Party lines were closely drawn in the rest of the district, but his 
personal following in Hartford carried the day. As his first term was in the nature of 
an official education, he is doing better in the present Congress than in the previous one. 
He has been made chairman of the sub-committee on banking and currency, charged with 
the investigation of the question of increasing the national bank circidation. 

The Baltimore Sun of Aug. 2, 1S93, contained the following bit of news: "Representa- 
ti\e Lewis Sperry made to-day one of the best speeches for the repeal of the Sherman act which 
has been heard in the House since it met in extraordinary session." Mr. R. E. Preston, 
the acting director of the Mint, said that two most valuable speeches delivered in Congress 
on the silver repeal bill were those of Mr. Sperry of Connecticut and Mr. Catchings of 
Mississippi. Mr. Preston has supplied himself with a numljer of copies of each, and uses 
them freely in answering questions received by him from all over the country. Congress- 
man Helborn of California, a Republican and a free silver man, wdiose views are diametrically 
opposed to those of Mr. Sperr}^, said : "I regard ]\Ir. Sperry 's speech as the ablest pre- 
sentation of the arguments used on the other side. The statistical information gathered 
by the Connecticut congressman is wonderful in its completeness, and I have sent copies 
of the speech to every banker, and ever}- other man directly interested in financial matters 
in my district, because there is no other manner in which I can supply them with the 
information they should have in such complete and concise form." 

At an annual banquet of the Chamber of Commerce in New Haven, Nov. 21, 1893, 
he said: "I fear that the ways and means committee will report a bill that I shall refuse 
to vote for." This speech was reported throughout the country, and he was looked upon as 
the leader of the party opposition to the Wilson bill. This position he maintained and was 
one of the seventeen Democrats who voted against the bill. A storm of censure raged through 
the newspapers, and he was vehement!}- called upon to resign. The New York World said 
editorially: "No such man has a right at this time to call himself a Democrat." The St. 
Louis Republican wrote : "Of all the men who deserted their party to-day only one will be 
missed and that is Sperry of Conncctictit." 

The Neio York Sun (Deni.) and the Republican papers approved his course. His reasons 
for his opposition were fully gi\-en in his speech delivered in the House, Jan. 17, 1894, and 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6i-iSg4. 299 

can be sunmicd up in the words: "It is not a rexenne nieasnre," and in his plea that the 
high tax on Snmatra tobacco be retained he stood firnih- on the statement he made in his 
speech accepting- his re-nomination for Congress. He then said: "The policy of the Demo- 
cratic partv has ahvavs been to tax the hixnries, the nnnecessaries of life, so to speak, as dis- 
tiugnished from the necessaries. Silks, and imported liquors and wines, and tobacco have 
always been considei'ed legitimate objects for heavy taxation." This plain statement of his 
political or tariff beliefs seems to have been forgotten by most of the newspapers, when they 
accused him of caring more for his own district, where tobacco was raised, than for the 
welfare of the country at large. 

But a great deal of misrepresentation could be borne with eqTianimity when the veteran 
leader of the Democratic party in Connecticut, the Hartford Times, thus justly and 
nnequivocally defended the young statesman, in its editorial colunnis : 

Washington despatches speak of special efforts made to induce the Hon. Lewis Sperry to agree to forward 
the Wilson bill b)' voting to-day to make a qnorum. Both Speaker Crisp and Mr. Wilson are said to have 
urged him to this, not necessariU' in order to secure a quorum, but to be in line with the Democratic side and 
help make a solid front in favor of the bill. But Jlr. Sperry is said to have stood his ground firmh-, and to 
have told these gentlemen that the bill as it now stands with the large reduction on Sumatra leaf tobacco, 
is against the interests of his district, against the sentiment of a majority of the voters of the district, and 
against his owni view of what is right, and that unless it is modified he will vote against it. 

Mr. Sperry also holds, — and in this position he has others who will stand with him — 
that the proposed bill is not an adequate rex-enue bill. This we judge is to be the main point 
in his opposition to a bill framed especially and wholly "for revenue," but which will, it is 
admitted, involve a vast loss in revenue to start with. 

He is not a "Cuckoo" congressman; he does his own thinking. And he will have the 
approval of the majority of the voters of the First Di.strict of Connecticut. It will strengthen 
instead of harming him to .stand firmly by his own principles. Mr. Sperry is no mere echo 
of anybody's orders. He has the brain and the ner\"e to see his way clear, and to .stand firinly 
by his own convictions. Such a man, in either party in Congress, wins respect. He has 
more influence than any merely " ]\Ie, too," congressman would have, in the House as well 
as at home. At the time of this writing the fate of the Wilson bill is undecided. Mr. Sperr>' 
has already announced that he will not stand for a re-nomination to Congress, but that he will 
return to Hartford and devote himself to the practice of his profession, inasmuch as his duty 
to his family is now more pressing than his public duties. What his future has in store 
therefore, cannot be even guessed at. 

Nov. 7, 1878, he married Elizabeth Ellsworth, only daughter of Dr. William Wood of 
East Windsor Hill. Their children are, Mary Elizabeth, born Jan. i, 1880, and Ellsworth, 
born June 30, 1881. 



T^ELIvS, DAVID AMES, has long been the representative economist of the 
United States, and a thinker whose vast information, fearlessness, and 
■'^ thoroughly judicial mind, have won him fame among economists the world 
over, says an excellent article in the Popular Scie/ice Mouthly. He has 
proved his ability and sagacity in the successful management of large 
business interests. While most economic teachers have been confined to class-room and 
te.xt-book, it has been his exceptional good fortune to practically apply his science to the 
reform of fiscal errors. Since vacating his high office under the federal government, he 
has exerted wide and growing influence upon the legislators of the nation. 




300 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Mr. Wells was born in Springfield, Mass., June 17, 1828, and is a lineal descendant 
on the father's side of Thomas Welles, go\-ernor of the Colony of Connecticut, 1655-1658, 
and on the mother's side of David Ames, who, under Washington, built and established 
the National Armory at Springfield. He and his brother Oliver were the founders and 
progenitors of the well-known manufacturing and railroad-building family of Massachusetts. 
After graduating at Williams College in 1847, and writing and publishing his first book, 
entitled "Sketches of Williams College," David Ames Wells was for a time (1848) an 
assistant editor with the late Sanuiel Bowles of the Springfield Republican. While thus 
employed, Mr. Wells suggested the idea, and was associated in the iu\-ention, of folding 
newspapers and books b\- machinery in connection with power printing-presses ; and the first 
machine ever constructed and successfulh' operated was built at his expense and worked 
under his direction in the office of the Repiiblicau. Having, however, a taste for scientific 
pursuits, and being now in the possession of some means through the sale of his interest 
in the above invention, he quitted the pursuit of journalism, and, in 1849, entered the 
Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University, becoming also at the same time a special 
pupil of Professor Agassiz, who had then recently arrived in this countrj'. Graduating in 
the first class that completed a course of stud\- in the Scientific School in 1851-52, he 
imniediately received the appointment of assistant professor in this institution and also that 
of lecturer on physics and chemistry in Groton Academy, ^Massachusetts. During his resi- 
dence in Cambridge, Mr. Wells, in association with George Bliss (late United States 
district attorney for New York), commenced, in 1849, the publication of an annual report 
on the progress of science and the useful arts, which, under the name of the "Annual of 
Scientific Discover}-," was continued for many years. 

Between 1857 and 1S63, ]\Ir. Wells was engaged in the preparation of a series of 
scientific school-books, which at one time attained a very extensive circulation, two of the 
series having been translated by missionaries into the Chinese language, while a third — an 
elementary treatise on cheniistr)' — was adopted as a text-book at West Point. 

Mr. Wells, however, first came prominently into public life in 1864, while residing in 
Troy, New York, through the publication in that year of an essay on the resources and 
debt-paying ability of the United States, bearing the title of "Our Burden and Strength." 
This essay was first read at a literary and social club in Troy, then published privately, 
then reprinted and circulated by the Loyal Publication Society of New York, and, receiving 
at the same time the appro\al of the federal government, it became one of the most noted 
publications of the war period. It was reprinted in England and translated into French and 
German, and had a circulation which is believed to have been in excess of two hundred 
thousand copies. Coming at a period when the nation was beginning to be alarmed at the 
prospective magnitude of the public debt, and apprehensive of an impending crushing burden 
of taxation, its publication and circulation proved a most effective agency for restoring public 
confidence and maintaining the credit of the federal government. 

The perusal of this pamphlet made a great impression upon President Lincoln, and in 
January, 1865, he sent for ]\Ir. Wells to come to Washington and confer with him and 
Mr. Fessenden, then secretary of the treasuiy, on the best methods of dealing, after the 
termination of the war, then evidently at hand, with the enormous debt and burden of tax- 
ation that the war had entailed iipon the nation. The result of this conference was the 
passage by Congress of a bill, in March, 1865, creating a commission of three persons for 
the purpose of inquiring into and reporting " on the subject of raising b\' taxation such 
revenue as may be necessary in order to supply the wants of the government, having 
regard to and including the sources from which such revenue should be drawn, and the best 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 301 

and most effectual mode of raising the same." Of this commission, Mr. Wells was appointed 
chairman by the then secretan,- of the treasnry, Hon. Hugh McCulloch ; and its report, in 
1866, which was mainly the work of Mr. Wells, presented for the first time a full and 
exact statement of the curious and complex system of internal and customs revenue which 
had grown up during the war, when the necessities for raising immense .sums of money with 
the utmost promptness and regularity were so great as to transcend all ordinary considera- 
tions, and justify the maxim, "Whenever you find an article, a product, a trade, a profession, 
or a source of income, tax il.^^ How wonderfully successful this system of taxation proved, 
is shown bv the circumstance, that for the last year of its full operation — 1865-66 — it 
yielded from internal revenue sources alone $310,000,000, and from internal revenue, customs, 
and other sources, the aggregate sum of $559,000,000, drawn from a tax-paying population 
not much in excess of twenty-two millions. In addition to this feature of the Revenue 
Commission Report in 1866, it also contained elaborate reports on sugars, tea, coffee, cotton, 
spices, proprietary articles — -patent medicines and the like — petroleum, fermented liquors, 
and distilled spirits as sources of revenue, with estimates as to the amount of revenue which 
the treasury might expect if taxation on them, at various rates, was to be continued ; the 
whole being really the first practical attempt in the United States to gather and use national 
statistics for great national purposes. 

On the termination of the Revenue Commission in January, 1866, by limitation of 
service, Congress was so well satisfied with the work that Mr. Wells had performed, that 
he was immediately appointed, for a term of four years, to an office created for him, under 
the title of " Special Commissioner of the Revenue," the duties of wdiich were thus defined 
by the enacting statute: "He shall from time to time report, through the secretary of the 
treasury, to Congress, either in the form of bill, or otherwise, such modifications of the 
rates of taxation, or of the methods of collecting the revenues, and such other facts per- 
taining to the trade, industry, commerce, or taxation of the country as he may find by 
actual obser\'ation of the operation of the law to be conducive to the public interest." 

In this office, and invested with large powers, Mr. Wells entered with ardor upon the 
work of reconstructing and repealing the complex system of internal taxation, which had 
become terribly oppressive, and the longer continuance of which had become unnecessar}' ; 
and, under his initiation and supervision were originated iiearh- all the reforms of importance 
in our national revenue system — internal and customs — that were adopted by Congress 
between the close of the war in 1865 and the year 1870, namely : the re-drafting of the 
whole system of internal revenue laws, the reduction and final abolition of the cottou-tax, 
and the taxes on manufactures and crude petroleum ; the creation of super\^isory districts 
and the appointment of supervisors ; the origination and the use of stamps for the collection 
of taxes on tobacco, fermented liquors and distilled spirits, and the creation of the Bureaxi 
of Statistics. To the head of this bureau Mr. Wells called, from the office of the Spring- 
field Rcpuhlicau , its assistant editor. Gen. F. A. Walker ; and under his management the 
bureau was first efficiently organized. 

Up to the year 1S67, Mr. Wells, who was born and reared a member of one of the 
largest manufacturing and Whig families of New England, was an extreme advocate and 
believer in the economic theory of protection. In 1867, Congress having instructed the 
secretary of the treasury to present at its next session a draft of a new tariff looking to 
reductions of war-rates, and the business of pi-eparing the same having been turned over to 
the office of the special commissioner, Mr. Wells, with a view of qualifying himself for 
the work, visited Europe under a government commission, and investigated, under ajmost 
unprecedented advantages, nearly every form of industry, competitive with the United 
States, in Great Britain and on the Continent. These personal experiences in respect to 
39 



302 REPRESENTATU-E MEN 

European industry, coupled with a subsequent study of our customs system, and a complete 
re-drafting of our whole tariff rates under instructions from Congress through the secretary 
of the treasury, gradually, and greatly against all his preconceived ideas, led IMr. Wells 
to a complete abandonment of his original position as a strong protectionist, and to the 
adoption of the belief that free trade, made subordinate to revenue and progressiveh' but 
tentatively entered upon, was for the best interest of the whole country. 

The announcement of these views, and especially the publication of his report for i86g, 
created great opposition among the protectionists, and Horace Greeley publicly charged that 
Mr. Wells had been corrupted through British gold distributed through the agency of 
IVIr. A. T. Stewart. Mr. Stewart, exceedingh' angry at being brought into this matter, 
desired that Mr. Wells should at once institute proceedings for libel, and several leading 
members of the New York bar volunteered to take charge of the case. But Mr. Wells felt 
that it was not necessary to vindicate his public or private character by any such action, 
and refused to become a part}' to it. The story, nevertheless, found extensive credence, 
and is undoubtedly believed by many persons at the present time who are unable otherwise 
to accoiint for such a change in the economic opinions of the commissioner so shortly after 
his return from Europe. A draft for a ver^* complete revision of the tariff, prepared bv Mr. 
Wells in accordance Avitli instructions, together with a full and elaborate report on the existing 
revenue resources and cojidition of the countiy, submitted to Congress through Secretary 
McCulloch, and with his hearty indorsement, in December, 1867, nevertheless found great 
favor, and, embodied in a bill, with slight modifications, came very near being successful. 

When the office of special commissioner expired by limitation in 1870, President Grant, 
giving the personal dislike of the secretary of the treasury at that time — Mr. Boutwell — 
to the commissioner as a reason, refused to reappoint ]\Ir. Wells in case of a renewal of his 
office. On his retirement in July, 1870, a large number of members of both houses of 
Congress, without distinction of party, united in a letter headed by Messrs. Sumner, Trum- 
bull, Carpenter, Henry W^ilson, Buckingham, Anthony, Thurman, Schurz, Bayard, Edmunds, 
Fenton, and others, on the part of the Senate, and jMessrs. Blaine, Garfield, Logan, Allison, 
Cox, Hooper, B. F. Butler, Kerr, Dawes, Eugene Hale, Banks, Poland, Oakes Ames, Niblack, 
Randall, Brooks, Beck, J. A. Griswold, James Brooks, A. A. Sargent, J. F. Wilson, F. Wood, 
Noah Davis, D. W. Voorhees, W. H. Barnum and others, on the part of the House — of which 
the following is an extract : "The undersigned, members of the Forty-first Congress, who have 
been cognizant of }'o\ir labors as special commissioner of the revenue, take the occasion of 
your retirement from public duties to express to you their appreciation of the work you 
have accomplished, and the great ability with which you have discharged the duties of j'our 
office. How much .soever they may peidiaps have differed with you touching the matter of 
your conclusions upon particular points, they desire nevertheless to bear testimony to the 
great value of your work, and to the honesty and the faithful and untiring zeal which have 
characterized your whole public career." At the same time a committee of citizens of differ- 
ent states, members of both parties, presented to INIr. Wells several testimonials of great 
value; one of which, a superb bronze statuette, some thirty inches high, representing" Labor," 
in the form of a fully developed workman, leaning upon his sledge-hammer, bears upon a 
silver plate the following inscription : 

PRESENTED TO 

Hon. DAVID A. WELLS, 

ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF 

SPECIAL COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE, 

BY CITIZENS OF NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND, 

AS A TOKEN OF ESTEEM FOR HIS UNSULLIED INTEGRITY 

AND HIGH PERSONAL CHARACTER; AND .\S A SLIGHT 

RECOGNITION OF HIS INESTIMABLE SERVICE TO HIS COUNTRYMEN. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S61-TS94. 303 

Commenting on the discontinuance of the office of special commissioner of revenue, 
the North Ainrricaii Rcviciv used at the time the following language: "The sj-stem of 
taxation, b}^ which the government has been in receipt of its enormous income, was estab- 
lished during the war ; and the man who deser\'es the most credit for its reform is Mr. 
David A. Wells, whom General Grant and Secretary Boutwell united in bowing coldly out 
of public ser\-ice. It was he who proved the capacity of the country to stand an enormous 
taxation, and pointed out the most convenient and legitimate sources of revenue ; and the 
most continuous changes and improvements in our revenue sj-stem, including even those 
under the administration that dismissed him, were but the following out of the suggestions 
and the line of argument which he had presented while in the Treasury Department. To 
him and to Congress, and to a generous and patriotic people does the country owe the 
proud exhibition of debt and tax reduction." 

As soon as it was known that Mr. Wells was to retire from his office at Washington, 
the appointment as chairman of a state commission for investigating the subject and the 
laws relating to local taxation was tendered him by tire governor (Hon. John D. Hoffman) 
of the state of New York and accepted ; and in this new position Mr. Wells prepared and 
submitted to the legislature two reports (in 1872 and 1873,) and a draft of a code of laws. 
Both of these reports were subsequently reprinted in the United States and in Europe ; and 
one of the first acts of the French minister of finance (M. Wolowski), after the conclu- 
sion of the Franco-German War, was to order the translation and official publication of 
Mr. Wells's report as special commissioner of revenue for i86g. This compliment was 
ftirther supplemented in the spring of 1874, by the election of Mr. Wells, by the French 
Academy, to fill the chair made vacant b\- the death of John Stuart Mill, and also in the 
same year by the voting to him of the degree of D. C. L- hy the University of O.xford, 
England. The honorarj- degree of LL.D. had been previotisly given to him by the col- 
lege of his graduation (Williams), and that of M.D. by the Berkshire ]\Iedical College in 
1863. In 1873, on invitation of the Cobden Club, Mr. Wells visited England and deliv- 
ered the address at the annual meeting and dinner of the club. In 1872, he was invited 
to lecture on economic subjects at Yale College. In 1875, he was elected president of the 
Democratic State Convention of Connecticut ; and he has serv^ed twice as delegate at large 
from Connecticut to presidential nominating conventions, in 1872 and in 1880. In 1876, 
Mr. Wells, after refusing to accept a regular nomination for Congress in the third district of 
Connecticut, was put upon the course by resolution of the Democratic convention, with the 
result, in the face of conditions otherwise wholly favorable to the Republicans, of reducing 
a hitherto impregnable Republican majority from 1,176 to 40. 

In 1870, Mr. Wells was elected a member of the Cobden Club ; in 187 1, honorary 
member of the Royal Statistical Society of England ; in 1875, president of the American 
Social Science Association, succeeding Dr. Woolsey of New Haven ; in 1877, a foreign 
associate member of the Regia Academic dei Lincei of Italy ; in 1880, president of the New 
London County (Conn.) Historical Society; and in 18S1, president of the American Free-Trade 
League. In 1878, Mr. Wells was appointed by the President a member and subsequently 
elected president of the National Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy at 
West Point. In 1876, he was appointed by the United States court one of three trustees 
and receivers of the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad, and in the course of the following 
fourteen months rescued the corporation from bankruptcy, and expended a considerable sum 
for improvements and repairs, without incurring an additional dollar of indebtedness. In 
1877, he was appointed by the State Board of Canal Commissioners chairman of a commis- 
sion to consider the subject of tolls on the New York canals, and in the next )-ear made an 
exhaustive and acceptable report. 



304 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

In 1879, in connection with the late E. D. Morgan of New York and J. Lowber Welsh 
of Philadelphia, and as trustees of the bond-holders, he bought under foreclosure and sale, 
and reorganized the New York & Erie Railroad, and served for some time as a member 
of the finance committee of the board of direction of the new company. In 1879, he was 
elected by the associated railways of the United States, in connection with Charles Francis 
Adams of Massachusetts and John ]\I. Wright of Philadelphia, a member of a board of 
arbitration, to which the associated railroads agreed to refer all their disputes and all arrange- 
ments for pooling or apportioning their respective competitive earnings. For two years the 
efforts of this board were successful and acceptable ; but, at the commencement of the third 
year, fron: causes to which the board was not a party, arbitration was refused by certain 
roads, and the arrangement was first suspended, and finally terminated. Pending final action 
as to the continuance of the board, Messrs. Wells and Adams voluntarily relinquished the 
sum of ten thousand dollars each, that was due them, on the ground that no service having 
been required of them or given, they were not honorably entitled to compensation for doing 
nothing. 

During the last twenty years few Americans have written and spoken more frequently 
and more acceptably to the public on subjects connected with the industry, commerce, 
finance, shi])piug, railroads, taxation and labor of the country, than Mr. Wells ; and some 
of his productions in pamphlet form, as "The Primer of Free Trade," "Why we Trade 
and How we Trade," and "The Dollar of the Fathers vs. The Dollar of the Sons," have 
attained a wide circulation. Of books, the following are well known : " Robinson Crusoe's 
Money," illustrated by Na.st, or the experiences of an island people in using different kinds 
of mone}^, 1876; "Our Merchant- Marine ; How it Rose, Increased, Became Great, Declined, 
and Decayed," 1882; "Practical Economics," 1885; "A Study of Mexico," 1887. Concern- 
ing the latter work, ]\I. Romero, the Minister of IMexico to the United States, writes : 
"Although I differ with you on several points, and in respect to some of your conclusions, 
it is sui-prising to me how well you have understood the condition of ^Mexico and its diffi- 
cult problems, especially so far as its relations with the United States are concerned." ' To 
which the Rev. George B. Hyde, one of the leading and oldest missionaries of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church in Mexico, adds, under date, at the Mission of Puebla, of May, 1887 : "I 
have, I think, read all works of importance relating to the social and political economy of 
Mexico ; and the ' Study ' is the only one that has not either looked with eyes that saw a 
paradise or a desert. I consider the book the most valuable yet published on the real con- 
dition of Mexico." 

The series of papers " On the Economic Disturbances since 1S73," now publishing in 
the Popular Science Afoiitlily^ being also reprinted concurrently in Europe, are regarded both 
in this country and Europe as among the most instructive and valuable contributions that 
have been made in recent years to au}- department of economic science. 

Mr. Wells's present residence is in Norwich, Conn., where he is the owner of one of the 
most pleasant old-fashioned houses in New England, and one of the best private economic 
libraries in the country. 





^^-^:/ -<3 oS-^C.O-^11^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 



305 



I 




EWELL, JAMES DUDLEY, senior member of tlie firm of J. D. Dewell & 
Company, New Haven, and president of the State Board of Trade, was born 
in Norfolk, Conn., Sept. 3, 1837. His father, John Dewell, was a native of 
Dntchess county, N. Y., of vScotch descent, and, during his years of activity, 
was ])rominent as a manufacturer and merchant in Norfolk. His mother, nde 
Mary Humphrey, was born in Norfolk, Conn., and descended from Alichael Humplu'ey, who 
settled in Windsor, Conn., 1640 to 1645. 

Soon after passing his twentieth birthday, he came to New Haven and entered upon 
a mercantile career. His first business connection was with the firm of Bushnell & Com- 
pany, wholesale grocers, as salesman. Two years later, he was made a member of the firm. 
After ]\Ir. Dewell was admitted to a share in the councils of Bushnell & Company, his 
energy and abilit}- aided greath- in expanding the volume of their business. In 1864, the 
firm name w-as changed to Bushnell & Dewell, and, in 1877, it was again altered to J. D. 
Dewell & Company, in which form it has become familiar to the mercantile world. 

Financial matters have occupied no small share of Mr. Dewell's attention. He is vice- 
president of the Security Insurance Company, and director in the New Haven Water Com- 
pany and the City Bank of New Haven. To each he gives that valuable assistance he is 
abundantly able to render from his long experience and intimate knowledge of business affairs. 

No sincere effort for the public advancement of New Haven, or for the social improve- 
ment of its citizens, has failed to enlist his warm interest and generous support. As one of 
the business men of the city, Mr. Dewell has ever desired to join his good fortune to the 
connnunity around him. To the development of New Haven by means of its Chamber 
of Commerce, he has devoted much time, and for many years he served as its president. 
Taking a wide field of action, and wishing to benefit all branches of industry in his native 
state, Mr. Dewell is largely responsible for the organization of the State Board of Trade. 
Elected president on its formation in 1891, he is still filling that position by unanimous 
consent. The Young Men's Institute of New Haven has always held a tender spot in his 
heart, and for twenty years he has been a director and contributor to its needs. 

He is also a member of, and takes great interest in, the New Haven Colony Historical 
Society, State Hospital of New Haven, Sons of American Revolution and Evergreen Ceme- 
tery Association. Mr. Dewell has not held political office, yet he takes great interest in 
legislative matters, both national and state. His conscientious belief on political lines is 
that the principles and policy of the Republican party are best calculated to promote the 
happiness of the people and prosperity of the nation. In other words, he is a Repvddican 
of the Lincoln type. 

Mr. Dewell was married July 2, i860, to ]\Iiss Mary Elizabeth Keyes of Norfolk. Six 
children have blessed their irnion, of whom five are living : one daughter and four sons. 




3o6 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



ESSIONS, JOHN HUMPHREY, of Bristol, president of the Bristol National 
Bank, and senior member of the firm of J. H. Sessions & Sons, was born in 
Burlington, Conn., March 17, 1829. 

In ancient Anglo-Saxon tongue appears a name that may be best expressed 
in modern English b)- the word " Sass,'" says the Magazine of Western His- 
tory. In this old language it means the dweller on, or a tiller of the soil. Pursuing the 
study of the name further down the annals of heraldry, the name " Sasson " appears with 
the same meaning. The family who bore it were tillers of the soil, and investigation still 
further shows Sesson, Sisson, Sis.sion and Sessions — natural dialectic derivatives of the same 
root, bearing the same meaning, and borne by families whose avocations were shown by 
their names. In the history of the ancient town of Wantage, England, appears early in 
the sixteenth century, the first records of the English family Sessions. Eike many another 
family in English hi.story, the occupation is evidenced by the name, and the student of history 
is not surprised to find the family farmers. There the occupation of farmer usuallv is 
that of overseer of the large manors of an English lord or baronet, rather than as prac- 
ticed in America, where a farmer is his own overseer. In the old town records mention 
is made of Alexander Sessions, the farmer of Dudley Manor. That he was a good farmer 
is further shown, and when Thomas Dudley, deputy govei-nor of the Massachusetts Bay 
Colony, came with his superior, John Winthrop, and a company of emigrants, to America in 
1630, Alexander Sessions was requested to come in his capacity as farmer for the new estates 
of his employer. 

Little that is definite can now be said of Alexander Sessions in the new world 
during the earh years of the colony. That he shai'ed the privations of the colony, aided 
in its development, and managed well his trust, can be safely inferred from his character 
and from the histor)' of the colony as brought down to the present time. Later, it is 
known that he became one of the first settlers of Andover, Mass., and was made a free- 
man. To Alexander Sessions and Elizabeth his wife, were born seven sons, whose biblical 
names attest the Calvinistic principles of their parents. Of these sons, Alexander, Jr., was 
in after years one of the most prominent. He lived to be ninety-one years old, and, not- 
withstanding his great age, his mental and bodily vigor remained till almost the last. He 
.settled in Pomfret, Conn., and died there in 1 771. From him the family line comes down 
through Anu)s to John, who was a man much respected. He was for two vears a mem- 
ber of the Continental Congress, and a member of the New York legislature for two terms. 
His son, John, Jr., had seven children, three of whom became Congregational ministers, 
and were men of mark in their generation. Calvin Sessions, the third son of John, Jr., 
married Lydia Beckwith, January, 1822. Of their children, John H. was the fourth. 

After receiving a limited education in the public schools, at the age of fifteen years, 
young Sessions went to work on a farm for the munificent salary of eight dollars per month. 
He did the "chores," and j^art of the time was sent to school. Two years later, he 
entered a manufactor\- of toys, child wagons, etc., his pay being ten dollars per month, 
and the work extending o\-er eleven hours per day. Here it was !Mr. Sessions became 
skilled in the art of wood-turning, and he continued to follow this business for the period 
of nine years. In 1S57, he decided to branch out on his own account, and commenced on a 
small scale, and it was but natural that he should do something in the line of clock making, 
with which that section of the state was permeated. He made a specialty of tips, knobs 
and columns for the styles of clocks then considered fashionable, and, later, he added knobs, 
etc., for the cabinet hardware trade. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. ^07 

On the death of his lirother, Mr. A. J. Sessions, he purchased liis Inisiness, and joined 
it to that he was carryin<;' on. This added niaterialh- to the range of articles produced. 
Mr. John H. Sessions, Jr., was made a member of the firm in 1872, the name becoming John 
H. .Sessions & vSon, which it still remains. They occupy .several large buildings, and employ 
about sixt}' men all the year round. The business is mainly the maiuifacture of Taylor's 
patent trunk l)olts and fixtures, hinges and rollers, wrotight iron corner clamps, felloe plates 
and washers, rubber tip door stops, furniture knobs, escutcheons, etc. It is the largest 
factory of its kind in the country. The main building is two stories and attic, 100 x 30, 
with two ells, and kiln-drier lumber house. The tinning room is two stories, 40 x 40, and 
the japanning room, 30 x 30, with three brick ovens. The large brick building, which is 
used for storage of finished goods, packing room and office, is 93 x 40, four stories with ba.se- 
ment. Large power presses are used in the business, and the castings used are mostly of 
malleable iron. 

The firm carries a stock of two hundred and fifty tons of malleable iron, and four 
hundred to five hundred tons of hoop iron and .sheet iron, and does a business approxima- 
ting $250,000 per year. Last year the firm used o\-er 1,300,000 pounds of malleable iron, 
and 1,800,000 pounds of wrought iron. The firm has a very large home trade, supplying 
all the principal tniiik dealers in the trunk-making centers, which are : Newark, Chicago, 
^lilwaukee, Racine, Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, Boston, Philadelphia, Petersburg, 
Richmond, Denver, San Francisco, Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit and New York. 
The firm also does a large export business in Canada, having customers in Montreal, Toronto, 
Ottawa, St. John, N. B., and other Dominion cities. Reciprocity' has opened up new 
channels of trade, Cuba being a large purchaser of the products of the firm. The European 
trade of the concern is also large, as they make man3' shipments of goods to Loudon, 
Paris, Dublin and Berlin. Through New York commission houses thousands of dollars worth 
of goods are annually shipped to South America. 

After being associated two ^ears with his father and brother in l)usiness, William K. 
Sessions, the second son of ^Ir. J. H. Sessions, purcha.sed a foundry, which had been badly 
run down, the capital being furnished by his father. It was organized as the Sessions 
Foundn.- Company, and has proved a most profitable investment. Starting with a limited 
amount of business, the concern has grown till now they give employment to two hundred 
and twenty-five men, and the sales foot up $300,000 yearly. The plant has been increased 
eight times -since they took hold of the enterprise, and with their four cupolas the\- now 
have a capacity for melting forty tons daily. 

Mr. Sessions is a many sided man, and has been almost uniformlv successful in all his 
operations. Financial management has claimed a share of his attention. He was one of the 
prime movers in the formation of the Bristol National Bank in 1875, and being chosen as 
the first president, has held the office to the present time by successive reelections. On the 
organization of the Bristol Water Company in 1S81, Mr. Sessions's influence had been so 
marked that he was unanimously elected president, and has filled the responsible duties of 
the office ever since. In electrical development he has taken no small degree of interest, 
and contributed largely to the formation of the Bristol Electric Company in 1886, and here 
again he was elevated to the presidency by mutual consent. Under his energetic administra- 
tion, the company has grown immensely, and they now light the village of Forestville, as 
well as the town of Bristol. For five years he was a member of the firm of Lamson, Sessions 
& Company of Cleveland, Ohio, furnishing nnich of the capital in the early life of the 
company, and after it became an estal)lished success, he withdrew. Though never a seeker 
after political honors, Mr. Sessions allowed himself to ])e elected to tlie General Assembly 
for the year 1885, and at that term served as a member on several important committees. 



3o8 REPRESENTATIIE MEN 

A firm friend of education, everj-tliing which tends to the upbuilding of society at large 
has ever found a zealous supporter in Mr. Sessions. He has been a member of the board of 
trustees of Wesleyan University, Middletown, for over a score of years, and for nearly the 
whole of that time has sen-ed on the executive committee of that excellent institution. He 
is also a member of the board of trustees of Wilbraham Academv, Wilbraham, Mass. It will 
be seen that ]\Ir. Sessions's church afhliations are with the Methodist denomination, though 
he had three uncles who were honored members of the Congregational ministry, and of the 
church of that faith in Bristol he holds the honorable position of chairman of the board of 
trustees, and also of the board of stewards. His pecuniary gifts to the work have been both 
frequent and large in the past, but the beautiful church edifice just completed is the crowning 
monument of his liberality. The seating capacity of the old building belonging to the society 
was about eight hundred, and the new church, holding one thousand, is joined on in such a 
way as to make nearh- the whole available, giving a total capacity of nearly one thousand 
.seven hundred in plain view of the pulpit. The material is granite, with Long Meadow red 
stone trimmings, and as the design is carried out it makes a churchly structure, very attractive 
to the eye. The cost of the new church and remodelling the old one was not far from $70,000. 
The congregation was growing, the space for a larger was greatly needed, and it is unnecessarj' 
to state that the handsome gift is most highly appreciated. The liberality of the father is 
emulated in due proportion by the sons — the older one furnishing the fittings, and the 
younger supplying a fine organ. The members of the congregation wished to have some 
share in the new edifice, and consequently they have added certain special articles, and in a 
suitable position have placed an elegant testimonial window, though one need not be a prophet 
to see that Mr. Sessions's memory will never be forgotten by succeeding congregations as they 
worship within the walls of the building provided by his thoughtfulness. 

John H. Sessions was married April 27, 1848, to Emily, daughter of Allen Bunnell of 
Burlington, Conn. Three children were the result of this union, all of whom are now living : 
John H. Sessions, Jr., who is associated with his father in business, and has always been 
actively interested in the pro.sperity of Bristol, having been one of the fire commissioners 
since 1880 ; William E. Sessions, who is the manager of the Sessions Foundry Company, and 
Carrie, who is now Mrs. Neubauer. 




BU^SON, SAMUEL, of Wallingford, president of the Simpson, Hall & Miller 
Company, was born in the town where he lived all his life, April 7, 
1814. He died on his eightieth birthda}-, April 7, 1894. For over a quarter 
of a century he had suffered from a malignant cancer, and had endured many 
operations which gave him temporary relief. 
Like only a few of Connecticut's prominent men, Mr. Simpson is of German parentage. 
Samuel George, who was born in Hesse, Muhlenberg, and became a lieutenant in the British 
army, came to this country with his regiment in 1767, and was soon afterwards sent to 
New Haven, to aid in enforcing the Stamp Act. While stationed in that town he married 
L)'dia, daughter of John Johnson, a large land holder, and assumed the name of Robert 
Simpson. His only son received the name of Samuel George Simpson, tlms combining his 
real and assumed names. The latter married Melinda, daughter of John and Lois (Beadle) 
Hull. In 1806, he disposed of his farm in Wallingford, and with other Connecticut farmers, 
bought a tract in the Western Reser\e in Ohio, whither he removed with his family. After 





^..-^..-^^/'^^^^^^^^ 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 309 

a residence there of fi\-e years, during wliicli one son, George, was l)orn, the family returned 
to Wallingford, and two more sous, Harmon and Samuel, were added to the circle. Samuel 
G. Simpson died in Wallingford iu 1842, aged sixty. 

Sanmel vSimpson was not born to wealth, and for this the people of his native town 
have reason to be thankful, for had his fortune been inherited instead of amassed, Walling- 
ford might not liave the large factories, the public buildings and the importance it now 
enjovs as an industrial center. Instead of a life of idleness in pursuit of pleasure through 
inherited opulence, his has been a life of activity, devoted to the purpose of making the 
world better from having li\-ed in it ; mankind better from his association with them and 
the condition of humanity exalted. 

When he was eleven years old, in 1825, he served as chore boy to Dr. Moses Gaylord 
for a period of two 3'ears, and at the age of fifteen he entered an apprenticeship term with 
Charles and Hiram Yale, who then were engaged in the business of making pewter spoons, 
etc., in Yales\-ille, but who had originally started in some part of the building now standing 
on the south-east corner of ]\Iain and Center streets, known as the Beckley place. I. C. 
Lewis, with whom Mr. Simpson was afterwards associated in the Meriden Britannia 
Company, was also an apprentice with the Yales at the same time. 

Such was his aptness and general ability that when he was twenty, Mr. Simpson was 
made foreman of the factory, and continued in that position till July, 1835. At this time a 
contract was made by which Mr. Simpson and L. L- William;, a former employee of the 
Y'ale firm, undertook the manufacture of the goods for Charles Yale, but when he died in 
November of the same year the contract, as part of his estate, was sold to the firm of 
Henshaw & Yale who failed in 1837, and made an opening for the firm of Williams & 
Simpson to step in and manufacture the goods on their own account. They continued 
successfully in the business until January, 1838. when their entire plant was destroyed by 
fire. The fire occurred in the night, and on being awakened and informed of the calamity, 
INIr. Simpson exclaimed: "There goes every dollar I have in the world!" This was the 
literal truth, but friends rallied themselves the next day, and money enough was raised by 
subscription to enable him to start again. 

The year in which he established himself in business witnessed his marriage to Martha 
De Ette Benham, whose family, although residing in Cheshire, belonged to the branch 
which carried their lineage back to Joseph Benham, one of the original planters of 
Wallingford. 

His next business effort was a partial failure, but he brought success out at the last. 
About this lime a Mr. Pelton of ^liddletown approached Mr. Simp.5on with a proposition to 
engage in the Britannia business, and an arrangement was made, but in a short time he 
found that Pelton had not the financial backing which he claimed, and the partnership was 
dissolved, but the ball had started which has rolled along until the result now shows up in 
the immense concerns of R. Wallace & Sons, Simpson, Hall, ^filler &: Company, the 
Simpson Nickel Silver Company, and other concerns which, while not having been the 
direct outgrowth of this beginning, can nevertheless trace the causes that led to their locating 
in Wallingford l)ack to the influence exerted through these firms. 

Mr. Simpson became interested in the Meriden Britannia Company, and contributed no 
small share to the solid foundation on which it was built. He finally sold his holdings to 
Horace C. Wilcox, who divided them among his associates, Dennis C. Wilcox, Isaac C. 
Lewis, William W. Lyman, Lemuel J. Curtis and George R. Curtis. This purchase gave 
the Meriden men control of the corporation formed by a consolidation of Mr. Lewis's and 
Mr. Simpson's business, and to each of these men the reward of a magnificent business and 

40 



3IO REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

their lieirs an estate of many millions. I\Ir. Simpson was the last survivor of these wonder- 
fully successful men, who, with no capital other than their own indomitable persistency, 
have left as monuments of their business skill the big silver ware factories of Meriden and 
Wallingford. Mr. Simpson's life is a history of these great industries. 

After closing his connection with the Meriden Britannia Company he became a partner 
of the late Robert Wallace, under the name of Wallace, Simpson & Company, and his 
energy, capital and business skill helped to build up the spoon industrj' which, under the 
name of the R. Wallace «& Sons JManufacturing Company, employed upward of 600 persons 
and is the largest spoon business of this country. Mr. Simpson sold his interest in this 
corporation some years ago and devoted his time and attention to the Simpson, Hall & 
Miller Company and the Simpson Nickel Silver Company. They were successful, extraor- 
dinarily so, during the ^'cars when he was able to more particularly direct them. He 
pos.sessed in an eminent degree the skill of managing men, of securing their confidence, of 
driving a sharp bargain and still retaining their confidence as a man of unquestioned 
integrit-s^ and absolute reliability. 

With the late Joel H. Guy he organized the First National Bank of ]\Ieriden and had 
much to do with the foundation of the First National Bank of Wallingford, and was its 
president from its organization until a short time ago. His name as president of the Dime 
Savings Bank has given it a reputation for financial stability that was of great value to this 
institution during the tn,-ing times of the past year. As a financier his judgment was of 
great value to all the enterprises with which he was identified. In his best days his keenness 
and extraordinary knowledge of men enabled him to weather the financial storm of 1873, for 
all his companies, although they were young and endeavoring to get into a market pretty 
well crowded even in these days. 

Mr. Simpson was a Democrat, and during the war occupied rather an unenviable position, 
as he was one of the peace men. He was in business and had large interests that were 
dependent on all sections of the coirntry for patronage, and he wanted the differences settled 
up without disturbing the status of trade, and he was consequenth- criticized b}^ his townsmen 
who took the view that war had got to come. As the intimate political friend of ^Mayor 
Osborne of the Register^ Ex-Governor English, Senator Eaton, and a host of old-timers, 
nothing delighted Mr. Simpson more than to recall the times when to be a Democrat meant 
very much more than it did in later years. It meant social ostracism, and not a little personal 
annoyance, but a more courageous man than he never breathed. 

His only personal military sers-ice was in 1841, when he was paymaster of the regiment 
of the old militia which was commanded by Col. Henry Hull. They were both mustered out at 
the same time. IMr. Simpson always discriminated in favor of Wallingford, and the evidences 
of his patriotism abound on every hand. There are but few institutions, public as well as 
private, in the borough that he has not been directlj- interested in exalting. The present 
perfected state of the public schools received the impetus from him when he was on the 
connnittee shortly after the war. He was instrumental in ha\-ing the present site of the high 
school building selected, although he faced opposition from almost the entire district. 

The town of Wallingford has honored him in every way, as a representati\e to the 
legislature, first warden of the borough and selectman. He represented his party and this 
state in Cincinnati when General Hancock was named as a candidate for the presidency. He 
was not a politician in the strict sense, he was too outspoken and lacked the diplomacy that 
would clothe his opinion in woixls of double meaning. His stand on the temperance question 
cost him his election as senator from the Sixth District, and he might have had the nomination 
for lieutenant-governor had he chosen to accept it . 



OF CONNECTICUT, i86i-i8g4. 311 

^Ir. Simpson was senior warden of .St. Paul's church, and most generous in his donations 
to it. He subscribed over $20,000 for its new church, and built the parish house connected 
with it in memory of his deceased daughter. The Ladies' Library Association have had the 
use of a suite of rooms in his business block for years free of charge. To those in distress 
he was ever read\- to lend a helping hand, and the deserving never applied in vain. 

The people of this generation have regarded him as a wealthy and successful business 
man, but a glance backward over the long vista of years which have rolled their succeeding 
rounds since 1814, and his career viewed through all the vicissitudes he has passed, .shows 
that whatever he has accomplished has been the result of personal toil, frugal habits and 
incessant application to duty, labor and business. The light of heaven is reflected in the 
character of a noble man, one who has a stern, set purpose in the attaining and maintaining 
of a standard of integrit)- that can only be measured by the rule of equal and exact justice, 
always tempered by the di\-ine attribute of charity that throws its mantle covering over the 
faults and failures of his erring brother man. Such was the character of Mr. Simpson, stern 
and unflinching in the discharge of public duties, always holding himself up to a higher 
standard than he exacted of others, and faithful to ever\- trust to the very last. 

The following minutes, which were drawn by Judge Hubbard, were adopted by the 
directors of the First National Bank : 

It becouies our sad duty to record the death of Samuel Sinipson, Esq., from its organization a director in 
this corporation, and until a recent period its president. While it is not our province in this minute to make 
special note of the general and many-sided usefulness which marks the career thus brought to a close, it may in 
truth be said that the same superior capacities and virtues that won for him preeminent success in other and con- 
spicuous relations in life were prominently exhibited in the wisdom, prudence and sagacity, combined with the 
high sense of justice and integrity with wdiich he discharged his offices in this institution and contributed so 
largely to the successful conduct of its affairs. The place which here knew him shall know him no more forever, 
and j-et remembering his fullness of years and of honor and his longings for relief from the terrible sufferings he 
had so long though so patiently endured, we can hardly lament his departure, while in common with the whole 
body of the community in which he passed his life and for whose welfare he did so much, we shall cherish as a 
priceless treasure the memory of his character as a man, a philanthropist and a Christian. The cashier is directed 
to spread this minute upon the record, and transmit a copy, with an expression of our S3-mpathy, to Mrs. Simpson. 

To Mr. and Mrs. .Simpson were born four sons and two daughters. All the sons and 
one daughter have passed over the river, the surviving daughter being j\lrs. Elizabeth Melinda 
Hull, widow of the late Gurdon W. Hull, who was associated with Mr. Simpson in various 
business operations. ]\Irs. Simpson is still in vigorous health and resides at the old homestead. 
There are two grandchildren, Mrs. C. H. Tibbits and Miss Bessie Hull. 




D 



ORTER, NOAH, D. D., LL. D., president of Yale College, was born Dec. 14, 
181 1, in Farmington, one of the most beautiful and attracti\e of the countrj' 
towns of Connecticut. He died March 4, 1892. 
.^.^ Fie was of Puritan ancestry, being descended from one of two brothers, 

Robert and Thomas Porter, natives of England, who settled at Farmington in 
1640. His father, the late Rev. Noah Porter, S. T. D., born at F'armington, in 1781, was gradu- 
ated at Yale College with the highest honors in 1803. Ordained pastor of the Congregational 
church in Farmington about three years later, he ministered to that charge until his death, 
in 1886. He was a man of e.xalted character and edifying life, a zealous as well as a devout 
Christian, and a theologian of rare learning. It was in his study at Farmington, on Sept. 5, 
1810, that the American Board of Connnissioners for Foreign Missions was organized and held 
its first meeting. For more than a generation he was a member of the corporation of Yale 



312 



REPRESEXTA Til E MEN 



College, and chiriug the greater part of the time sen.-ed upon its most important committees. 
His children all shared his Christian zeal, love of learning and philanthropic spirit. Samuel, 
one of his sons, has achieved a world-wide fame as an educator of the deaf and dumb, and is 
now emeritus professor in the National Deaf Mute College, at Washington, D. C. His 
daughter Sarah likewise achieved distinguished success as an educator. 

"In the home of such a father," says the " Biographical Encyclopedia of Connecticut 
and Rhode Island," "all the associations connected with the early life of the future president 
of Yale College were calculated to awaken an interest in .study and a desire to enter upon the 
life of a scholar. But there were still other influences which contributed to stimulate in him 
the love of learning. There were within the limits of the town two public libraries, which 
furnished a good selection of books, which served to arouse in him a taste for the best literature. 
Farmington was also the home of several families of wealth and cultivation, who gave to its 
society a tone of refinement and elegance not often possessed at the time by the smaller towns 
of the state. 

The interest which the boy early manifested in books w-as so great, and his progress so 
rapid in the ordinary English bi'anches of education, that, before he was eight years of age, 
his father, at the solicitation of his instructor, ]Mr. Simeon Hart, who was about to spend the 
winter in the neighboring town of Winsted, and asked to be permitted to take his pupil with 
him to begin the study of Latin, consented to the arrangement. ]\Ir. Hart subsequently 
graduated at Yale College, and immediately resumed his position as teacher of the academy in 
Farmington, and it was under him principally that young Porter was fatted for college. He 
was for a short time, however, under the instruction of Mr. John H. Lathrop, who was after- 
ward chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, and of Mr. Elisha N. Sill, who has filled 
several important public offices, and is now living in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. In 1824, also, an 
arrangement was made with his uncle, Dr. Humphrey, president of Amherst College, of a kind 
which at the time was not uncommon in New England. 

He was received into the family of Dr. Humphrey, one of whose sons took his place 
in the home at Farmington. While at his uncle's, young Porter studied under jMr. 
Ebenezer Snell, afterward professor of natural philosophy in the college at Amherst. Dr. 
Porter also sent his son for a term or two to the school in Middletown, Conn., and he thus 
had what was then the unusual advantage of .seeing something of the world outside of his 
native town before he entered upon his college life. 

Still another of the influences under which President Porter was brought as a boy 
should not be passed b}- without notice. His teacher, Mr. Hart, earh- interested him in 
botany, and it was in pursuing his studies in this science that he was led to accustom 
himself to long walks, and to acquire that habit of close observation, that appreciation of 
the beauties of natural scenery, and that love of a life in the country, which have characterized 
him ever since, and which have led him in his vacations to undertake long expeditions 
through the Adirondack woods and the forests of Canada. 

In his sixteenth j-ear he left home to enter Yale College as freshman. The class of 
1 83 1, of which he became a member, had in it an unusual amount of ability. Its career, 
however, was a stormy one. The period in which it was in college was marked by a wide- 
spread rebellion against the authority of the faculty — known as the "bread-and-butter 
rebellion" — in which a large number of students in each of the classes participated. There 
was also an element of constant excitement in his own class, in the struggle of a South 
Carolina faction and a \'irginia faction for the leadership. ]\Ir. Porter took a high rank as 
a scholar, and so conducted himself throughout his whole course as to secure the respect of 
the authorities of the college, while at the same time he had the confidence of his classmates, 
for many of whom he formed warm attachments which proved lifelong. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-ZS94. 313 

After graduating iu 183 1, Mr. Porter became the rector of the ancient Latin school in 
New Haven, which had been founded in 1660, and which is known as the Hopkins 
Grammar School. Here he gained an honorable reputation for his al)ility as an instructor, 
and especially for his success iu administering discipline in a school which had been 
traditionally somewhat unruly. Iu 1833, he was elected tutor iu Yale College, and served 
in that capacity for two years as the iustructor of the somewhat famous class of 1837 in 
Greek. While tutor he pursued the regular course of study in theology in the Yale 
Divinity School under Rev. Dr. Nathaniel W. Taylor. 

In 1836, he became the pastor of the Congregational church in New Milford, Conn., 
being ordained in April of that year. Mr. Porter's pastorate in this town was a laborious 
one. The church was one of the largest in the state, and its members, many of whom were 
farmers, were scattered over a town which by the road was sixteen miles from north to 
south, and nine from east to west. For nearly seven years he had the charge of this 
important church, where he acquired reputation for his ability iu the pulpit, and for the 
energy and faithfulness with which he discharged all the duties of a pastor, riding diligently 
at all seasons over the long hills to visit his parishioners, and holding stated meetings in 
the most remote districts of the town. It was while settled in this country parish that he 
began by his contributions, published in the leading periodicals of the day, to attract 
attention as an original and vigorous thinker on theological and philosophical subjects. 

In 1843, he became the pastor of the South Congregational church in vSpringfield, Mass., 
where he remained for four years, when he was chosen, in 1846, Clark professor of mental 
and moral philosophy in Yale College. After occupying this chair for twenty-five years, on 
the resignation of President Woolsey, in 1871, he was elected president. It was considered 
at the time to be a fortunate circumstance that a president was secured who was acquainted 
with all the traditions of the college, and was in thorough sympathy with them. President 
Porter's views on the subject of collegiate education were set forth in his inaugural address, 
and in his work on American colleges. They were conservative, though he was by no means 
indisposed to seek for improvements on the past, as is shown by the fact that during his 
administration very important changes wei'e made in the methods of instruction. The college 
during his presidency was very prosperous. Several costly buildings were erected; the corps 
of instructors was much enlarged; the department of philosophy and the arts was re-constructed 
so as to induce instruction for graduate students ; and the different departments of the college 
have been officially recognized by the corporation having "attained to the form of a university." 

President Porter during all his life was a very \-oluminous writer. His published works, 
consisting of reviews, cssa)S, addresses, sermons, are too numerous to mention here even by 
their titles. He was a constant contributor to the press and to the most important magazines 
and reviews. His most elaborate work is a treatise on the "Human Intellect" (New York, 
1866; 8vo, pp. 673), of which Prof. Benjamin N. Martin, his reviewer, says {Neza Eiig/andcr, 
January, 1869): "In comprehensiveness of plan and in elaborate faithfulness of execution 
the work is far before any other in the language." He adds: "For such a labor of years, 
and such an example of cntliusiasm in the pursuit of abstract truth, the author's countrymen 
may well be proud of him ; and . . . their grateful appreciation of an aim so high, and 
so well sustained, will i-ank him, perhaps, foremost among our American scholars in the 
loftiest and mo.st difficult walk of investigations." 

Among his principal publications is a "Historical Discourse, Commemorating the Two 
Hundredth Anniversary of the Settlement of Farmington " (1840); " The Educational System 
of the Puritans and the Jesuits " (1851) ; " Books and Reading" (1870); " American Colleges 
and the American Public" (1871) ; Science of Nature z's. Science of Man;" — "A Review of 



314 REPRESEXTATH'E MEN 

the Philosophy of Herbert Spencer;" "Evangeline" (1S82) ; "The Elements of ]\Ioral 
Science, Theoretical and Practical" (1885); "Life of Bishop Bnckley " (1885); "Kant's 
Ethics," "A Critical Exposition" (i886). Dr. Porter was nndeniably one of America's most 
scholarly metaphysicians. His labors as a lexicographer in connection with the revision of 
of the second and later editions of "Noah Webster's Unabridged Dictionary" of the English 
language, were very ardnous, and brought him great fame, as well as universal recognition 
as a scholar. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by the University of 
the City of New York in 1858, and that of Doctor of Laws by the Western Reserve College 
in 1870, b}' Trinity College, Conn., in 1871, and by the L^niversity of Edinburgh, in 1886. 
Dr. Porter married AIar\-, eldest daughter of his esteemed instructor and friend, the Rev. 
Dr. Nathaniel W. Taylor of New Haven, in 1836. 



|!;;^S^^^ATLING, RICHARD JORDAN, of Hartford, Conn., a distinguished American 
M ( . " -•■; in\-eiUor, whose celebrated revolving batter}- gun, which bears his name, has 
-i\ Vtv^^ • fti^'^^'i \\\\\\ world-wide fame, was born in Hertford County, N. C, on Sept. 12, 
i\^^^g_ J 1818. His father, Jordan Gatling, a man of sterling character and remarkable 

for his energy and industry, was a farmer in easy circumstances, and the owner of 

quite a tract of land, and a number of slaves. His mother's maiden name was Barnes. Rich- 
ard, who was the third son of six children, was brought up to regard labor as honorable and 
economy a duty ; and it was impressed upon him in youth that with due diligence, success 
could surely be reached through these avenues. Not the least of the influences acting on 
him was the high Christian character of his mother. Every facility of an educational char- 
acter that the neighborhood afforded was taken advantage of by him, and at the age of 
seventeen, when he had exhausted the resources of the locality, he was an unusually bright 
and well-informed lad. Never shirking his duty on the farm, he grew up healthy and 
sturd)- in limb. The vitality of his mind equalled that of his body, and long before he 
was out of his teens he was working conjointly with his father upon an invention for 
sowing cotton .seed, and also upon a machine designed for thinning cotton plants. The 
genius of invention thus aroused, soon exercised itself in a variety of ways, to the advan- 
tage of his neighbors as well as of his own people, and thereafter never slumbered. 

Being a good penman, says the "Biography of Connecticut, " young Gatling found 
employment cop)-ing records in the office of the county clerk of Hertford County, and 
was thus engaged during the greater part of his sixteenth year. At the age of nineteen 
he took a position teaching school, but soon abandoned this occupation to engage in mer- 
chandizing, which he followed successfully on his own account for several years. It was 
during this latter ])eriod that he busied himself with the in\-ention of the screw propeller 
now so extensively used in steam-vessels. Having first given his discovery a practical 
test attached to an ordinary boat, he applied for a patent, going himself to Washington 
in 1839, with his model. Upon reaching the capital, he found that a patent upon the 
same appliance had already been granted to another in\-entor. Though sadly disappointed 
to learn that he had been forestalled in his discovery, he wasted no further time 
upon the matter, but turned his attention to other inventions. Shortly afterwards he 
in^'ented and patented a .seed-sowing machine designed for sowing rice, which he adapted 
sub.sequenth- to sowing wheat in drills. In 1844, he removed to St. Louis, and for a 
year worked as a clerk in a drv-goods store. While thus engaged he empIo^■ed a skillful 



OF COXXECTICUT, i86r-i8g4. 315 

incchauic to construct his seed-sowing machines, which fonnd a ready sale. Interest in 
them soon became so wide-spread that, in 1S45, Mr. Gathng- gave up his other occupa- 
tions to devote his whole time to their improvement and sale, and established agencies in 
several of the principal cities of the Northwest. 

While proceeding from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh in the winter of 1845-46, he was 
stricken by small-pox, and as the steamboat in which he travelled was caught in the 
ice and frozen in for thirteen days, he lay all that time without medical attendance and 
came very near dying from neglect. This terrible experience impressed him with the 
necessity for acquiring a knowledge of medicine so that he might be able to serve him- 
self ami others also, should occasion arise. The leisure of several years was now devoted 
mainly to the study of medicine, and regular courses of instruction were taken at the Indiana 
IMedical College, then at Laporte, and subsequently at the Ohio Medical College at Cin- 
cinnati. He completed his medical studies in 1850. Being now free to resume business 
operations, he established himself at Indianapolis, and engaged in the manufacture and 
sale of his seed-sowing machines, investing his profits, which were then considerable, in 
real estate speculations and in aiding in the construction of a number of the railroads 
leading to that city. 

Dr. Gatling was an enthusiastic advocate of the advantages of drilling wheat over the 
old method of sowing broadcast, and he was the first to inti'oduce this class of imple- 
ments into the Northwestern states, and probably did more than any other man to secure 
the general adoption of drill culture in the West. His drills for years took many medals 
and prizes at the various state fairs, and his skill as an inventor received high recogni- 
tion from distinguished sources, including a medal and diploma from the Cr}-stal Palace, 
London, 1851, and a gold medal from the American Institute, New York City. Another 
invention in agricultural machineiT prodliced by him about this time was a dou))le-acting hemp- 
brake, which is still emplo\ed in some parts of the West. In 1849, he conceived the design 
of transmitting power from one locality to another, or rather of distributing it from a main 
source — originating from steam or water — to numerous other points, through the medium 
of compressed air in pipes laid under ground as gas and water pipes are laid, a great cen- 
tral power generator thus sufficing to drive many smaller engines situated in shops and factories 
at a distance. This method of using compressed air is now employed in working drills in 
mining operations, and in the construction of tunnels, etc. For years he sought to obtain 
a patent on this invention, but was unsuccessful, the authorities at the Patent Office in Wash- 
ington denying his claim on the ground that this was a discovery and not an invention. 
Failing to secure the protection of a patent. Dr. Gatling abandoned this scheme after the 
expenditure of nuich time and money. In 1S57, he invented a steam-plough, designed to 
be operated by animal and steam power combined, but ill-health and other causes prevented 
him from working out the details of this machine to practical results. 

But the great invention of Dr. Gatling, and that with which his name is indissolubly 
linked, is one which is in marked contrast to those employed in the peaceful pursuits 
of agriculture. This is the world-renowned Gatling gun, one of the most terrible engines 
of modern warfare, the design of which was conceived in 1S61. When the Civil War 
broke out Dr. Gatling resided at Indianapolis. A true patriot, he closely followed the 
events of the war, and watched its progress with keen interest. The arrival and depar- 
ture of troops found hinr at the depot using his fine powers of obsers-ation, and constantly 
on the alert for an idea upon which he might build something of utility to the govern- 
ment. His humane feelings were deeply affected by the miseries and sufferings of those 
who went forth to fight the nation's battles, and he offered all tlie sympatlu- of a warm 



3i6 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

and generous natnre to those around him bereaved of their loved ones by the sad fortunes 
of war. One dav, while contemplating the fact that the casualties in war resulted chiefly 
from exposure and disease, the thought flashed upon him that it was perfecth' possible 
to make labor-saving machinery for war. His reasoning was to the effect that if one man, 
by means of a machine, could do the work of a hundred men, a great many could be 
withdrawn from the manifold dangers incidental to the prosecution of war ; in other w'ords, 
the necessity for large armies would no longer exist. 

The idea of the machine gun now universally known as the "Gatling" was conceived in 
1861, and the first one was constructed and fired by the inventor at Indianapolis in the spring 
of 1862. The test took place in the presence of a number of army officers and private citizens. 
Two hundred and fifty shots per minute were discharged from the gun with ease. The effect 
was startling and the invention became the talk of the land. Some of Dr. Gatling's friends, 
prompted by mistaken notions of humanity and for other reasons, sought to dissuade him 
from manufacturing his gun, but believing he was entireh- in the right, he allowed no in- 
fluences to interfere with the carrying out of his project. The gun as first exhibited, although 
deemed imperfect by its inventor, contained the main essential principle of the later perfected 
weapon. During 1862, Dr. Gatling constructed several of his guns, making improvements 
in each. In the fall of that year he gave an order for six of them to the firm of ]\Iiles Green- 
wood & Company of Cincinnati. About the time they were read\- for delivery the factory 
was burned and the guns, together with all the plans and patterns, were totallj- destroyed, 
subjecting the inventor to heavy pecuniary loss, and compelling him to begin his work all over 
again. Shortly after this tmfortunate circumstance he made thirteen of his guns at the 
Cincinnati Type Foundry Works. Some of these guns were finalh' employed in active service 
by the Union forces on the James River, near Richmond, under General Butler, in repelling 
attacks of the rebels. He also had twelve of his guns made by the Cooper Fire-Arms ]\Ianu- 
facturing Companv in Philadelphia, in 1865. These were subjected to numerous tests at the 
Frankford Arsenal, and subsequently at Washington and Foitress ]\Ionroe. The most severe 
tests having proven entirely satisfactory to Secretary of War Stanton, and Gen. A. B. Dyer, 
chief of ordnance, the arm was adopted by the government. In August, 1866, an order was 
given for one hundred of these guns, fifty of one-inch and fifty of fifty one-hnndredths of an 
inch calibre. They were made at Colt's armorA^, Hartford, Conn., and w-ere delivered to the 
United States authorities in 1867. In that year Dr. Gatling visited Europe and spent nearly 
a year and a half in bringing his invention to the notice of the several governments. 

He made a second trip in 1870, and upon his return to America settled at Hartford, Conn., 
where he still lives. He again visited England in 1880. Since the appro\-al of the Gatling 
gun b)' the United States government, it has been adopted by Russia, Turkey, Hungary, 
Eg\'pt and England. From the day it was first brought out, in 1862, down to the present 
time, it has been subjected to the most severe tests, both in Europe and America, and has 
emerged successfully from all. In England the "Gatlings" were subjected to a general and 
exhaustive trial at the government butts. Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, with the result that they 
were recommended by the authorities and finally adopted. That the "Gatling" antedates 
the French mitrailleuse is conclusively proven by documentary evidence in the possession of 
its inventor, who, comnninicating with the artillery connnission of the French army as early 
as 1863, received a reply asking for definite information, and treating the invention as perfectly 
novel and original. Since that time the gun has been examined and tested by commissions 
from every government in Europe, with one exception (Belgium), from nearly all the South 
American governments, and those of China, Japan, Siam, and Eg\'pt, with the results as 
previously stated. 



OF COXXECT/CCT, iS6i-i8g4. 317 

Technical 1\- described, the Gatling gun is a group of rifle-barrels arranged longitudinally 
around a central axis or shaft and revolving with it. These barrels are loaded at the breech 
with metallic cartridges while the barrels revolve, and the mechanism is in constant action. 
In other words, the operations of loading and firing are carried on while the barrels and locks 
are kept under constant revolution. The mechanism by which this is effected is admirably 
contrived. Although only one barrel is fired at a time, some patterns are capable of dis- 
charging one thousand shots per minute. There is no perceptible recoil and the accuracy 
of the firing is something marvelous. \"arious sizes of the arm are manufactured, .some 
suitable for the defence of fortifications, others adapted to field service, use on shipboard, and 
in boats; and still others so light as to be easily managed by one man. By an ingenious 
device for distributing its shots through the arc of a horizontal circle, the gun can be made 
to perform the work of a front rank of infantry. The gun is operated by two men, one 
turning the crank and the other supplying the breech with cartridges. The.se latter are fed 
from feed-cases, so constructed that before one can be exhausted another may take its place, 
insuring a continuous fire. A writer in the Science Record^ after referring to the many thor- 
oughly .severe tests to which this arm has been subjected, pithily adds: 

Thus has the Gatling gun steadily, slowly and surely fought its way, inch by inch and step by step, against 
the strongest opposition of prejudice, old-fashioned notions, pecuniary interest, and rival arms, and through the 
stern ordeal of long, frequent, and severe tests and trials, to the front rank it now proudly and defiantly occupies. 
We deal in no extravagant language, says the same writer, when we say that the importance of this great 
invention can hardly be overestimated. The absorbing interest with which it has been regarded bj' the fore- 
most governments of the world, the searching and thorough scrutiny' and investigation with which it has been 
treated, the severe and exhaustive tests and trials to which it has been subjected, the complete triumph which 
it has achieved upon every field, its adoption by almo.st every civilized nation, and the revolution which its 
successful operation is compelled to bring about in military affairs, warrant the statement that these guns will 
play a most prominent and decisive part in all future wars. No intelligent mind will gainsay and it requires 
no gift of prophecy to predict that upon the pages of imperishable history that will record the details of these 
wars the name of Gatling will be indelibly stamped. 

Dr. Gatling has devoted nearly thirty years of his life to the task of perfecting this 
remarkable invention, and has personally sttpervised and conducted numerous tests of the 
gun's efficiency before nearlv all the crowned heads of Europe. Ever^-where he has been 
received with distinguished consideration, and in Russia the highest government officials 
extended to him marked attention. Through all the attentions and honors he has received. 
Dr. Gatling has remained the same well-bred gentleman, gentle in speech and manner, and 
always preserving that republican simplicity which so well befits the American citizen and 
is everywhere the surest passport to kindly recognition on equal terms. The Gatling guns 
are now manufactured in the United States at Colt's armory and at Birmingham, Eng. Dr. 
Gatling has for many years been president of the Gatling Gun Company, the main office 
of which is in Hartford. Dr. Gatling is also president of the Harri.son Veterans of 1840 — 
an organization of elderly men who voted for Gen. William Henn,- Harrison for President. 
His residence is in Charter Oak Place, a short distance from the spot where the historic 
"Charter Oak" formerly stood. He is constantly laboring on some of his in\entions, and 
has recently taken out patents for several valuable inventions, among them an impro\ed 
method for casting guns of steel, which, it is believed, will supersede all other svstems of 
manufacturing heavy ordnance ; a torpedo and gunboat which embraces improvements of 
pronounced character and of great value in naval warfare ; and aii iinpro\-ed pneumatic gun, 
designed to discharge high explosive .shells, which can be used either on shipboard or in 
land and harbor defences. The American Association of Inventors and Manufacturers, 
organized in 1891, at its first meeting, held at Washington, D. C, January, 1891, elected 
Dr. Gatling its first president, an honor of which he is ju.stly proud. Considerably above 

41 



3i8 REPRESEXTATHE MEN 

the medinni height, somewhat portly, of pleasant countenance and engaging manners. Dr. 
Gatling is a general favorite among the people of Hartford. He takes a sincere interest in 
local affairs, contributes generously to every public movement having a patriotic or charitable 
object, and in almost every imaginable way acts well the part of a good citizen and a 
kindly neighbor. He has received many honors from scientific bodies, both at home and 
abroad, and from a number of foreign governments, Ijut he wears them all with the greatest 
modesty and continues his labors with as keen a zest as in his earlier days. The state of 
North Carolina may well be proud of her modest and industrious son. His eminent personal 
merit and high scientific achievements reflect honor upon his American name. 

Dr. Gatling was married at Indianapolis, in 1854, to Miss Jemima T. Sanders, the 
youngest daughter of the late Dr. John D. Sanders, a prominent practitioner of medicine 
in the cit\- named. This estimable lady — a devoted wife and mother — has made his home- 
life exceptionally happy, and for full two score years or more she has been his loving 
helpmeet in the fullest and noblest significance of the term, sharing alike his cares and his 
triumphs, ever hopeful, ever helpful. Of the five children born to them, the two eldest, a 
daughter and a son, died in childhood. The surviving children are a daughter, Ida, the 
wife of Hugh O. Pentecost, and two sons, Richard Henry and Robert B. 




IS" FT^ OBINSON, HENRY CORNELIUS, I^Iv.D., of Hartford, e.x-mayor of that city, 
Im W-xir3 l\ and ex-fish commissioner of Connecticut, was born in Hartford, Conn., Aug. 
28, 1832. 

He is a younger son of the late David Franklin and .\nne Seymour Rob- 
inson, highly esteemed residents of Hartford, and through both descends from 
the first Puritan settlers of New England. On the paternal side, he traces his ancestry to 
Thomas Robinson (possibly a kinsman of the Rev. John Robinson, the venerated pastor of 
the Mayflower pilgrims) who came from England among the earlier arrivals, and, in 1667, 
settled at Guilford, Conn., where a party of non-conformists, under the Rev. Henry Whitfield, 
had established themselves in 1639. Through his mother, who was a daughter of Elizabeth 
Denison, wife of Asa Seymour, of Hartford, he descends in a direct line from William Brew- 
ster (born in Nottinghamshire, England, in 1560), one of the leaders of those who came 
over in the Mayflower, and the ruling elder of Plymouth Colony. 

The subject of this sketch received his early education at the Hartford grammar school 
— the oldest educational institution in the state — and at the high school after its union wit h 
the first named. In 1849, he entered Yale College, and was graduated there with high 
honors in 1853. The class of this year was one of more than usual distinction, says the 
"Biograph}- of Connecticut," among its members being the Hon. Andrew D. White, presi- 
dent of Cornell University and Alinister to Germany ; Bishop Davies of Michigan ; Dr. 
Charlton T. Eewis and Dr. James ^I. Whiton of New York; editors Isaac H. Bromley and 
George W. vSmalley of the Nciv York Tribune; United States Senator R. L. Gibson; Hon. 
Benjamin K. Phelps ; the poet, E. C. Stedman, and others who have already gained especial 
honors in American history. Having closed his college course, Mr. Robinson began the 
study of law in the office of his elder brother, Lucius F. Robinson, with whom, after three 
years of practice by himself, he became associated as a partner in 1858, and with whom he 
remained until the relationship was severed by death, in 1861, subsequent to which he 
managed his business alone until 1888. In that year he took his eldest son, Lucius F. 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6i-iSg^. 319 

Robinson, into llic firm then organized nnder the st}le of H. C. &. L. F. Rol)inson, which 
is, to-day, one of the foremost at the Connecticut bar, and widely known in the New 
England and Middle states. 

Among the scientific subjects whicli engaged Mr. Robinson's attention diiring his earlier 
manhood, that of pisciculture — from its important bearing on the human food supply — was 
given special study. In 1866, Go\-ernor Hawley, with a \-iew to giving Connecticut the 
advantages of Mr. Robinson's researches and knowledge, appointed him fish commissioner of 
the state. Although carrying a large law practice at this period, he accepted the appoint- 
ment and at once interested himself in experiments and legislative measures looking to the 
preservation and development of the fish industrv in Connecticut. " Through his instru- 
mentality laws were placed on the statute books providing for the condemnation of the pound 
fishery at the mouth of the Connecticut River, and the discontinuance of that method of 
fishing. Before these wdiolesome laws could become fairly operative, under partisan influ- 
ence they were repealed, and others substituted wdiicli were of no practical use, as has 
been proven, in preventing or arresting the destruction of the shad fisheries in these waters, 
in spite of artificial propagation." From the same contemporary authority quoted, it 
appears that "the first artificial hatch of American shad was made under Air. Robinson's 
direction as commissioner, associated with the Hon. F. W. Russell, before the Connecticut 
legislature, and in the presence of the late Prof. Agassiz, who was a deeply interested 
spectator in the experiments and in the legislative contest upon the subject then in progress." 

In 1872, Mr. Robinson was nominate:! by the Republicans for mayor of Hartford. The 
city is usually Democratic, but Mr. Robinson's personal popularity and the confidence reposed 
in him by voters of all shades of political belief, led to his being generally supported, 
and he was elected by a large majority over his opponent. He served from 1872 to 1874, 
and gave the people an administration notable for its purity and efficiency. During his 
incumbency municipal affairs were conducted on business principles, and while every effort 
was made to advance the general welfare, many wise economies were practiced at a great 
saving to the tax-payers. During his administration and largely under his leadership, Hart- 
ford gained its long-sought prize of becoming the sole capital of the state. Through his 
recommendation the establishment of several of the departmental commissions of the city 
was secured. In 1879, Mr. Robinson represented the town of Hartford in the General 
Assembly of the state, and during the single term that he .served was insti-umental in 
securing a number of important enactments in the interests of his constituents, including 
the change in legal procedure. He was chairman of the judiciary committee, and it is said 
that he, as such chairman and leader of the House, had the exceptional experience of having 
the action of his committee substantially sustained by the House in every instance of its 
reports. 

Mr. Robinson became a Republican at the time of the fornuition of the party and has 
since then supported its principles. Studying public questions from the point of view of the 
statesman, rather than that of the politician, his influence in party affairs has always been 
exerted on a high plane. The distinguished esteem in which he is held within his party 
is amply evidenced by the fact that he was nominated three times by it for the office of 
governor, the first time in the spring of 1876, and again in the fall of 1876, and again in 
1878 — the latter nomination he declined. In each instance he was nominated by acclamation. 
He was a member of the National Republican Convention at Chicago in 1S80, which 
nominated Garfield and Arthur, and was the author of a large part of its platform. In 
1887, he was the commissioner for Connecticut at the Constitutional Centennial celebration 
held in Philadelphia. Owing to his large legal practice he has been obliged to decline a 



320 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

a number of honorable appointments which have come to him unsolicited. His connections 
with the \-arious institutions of Hartford are numerous. He is counsel for many of the 
leading corporations of the state. In the late suit of quo warranto involving the question 
of the state governorship, ]\Ir. Robinson was the senior counsel for the Republican party. 
He is a director in the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Company, the Connecticut :\Iutual Life 
Insurance Company, the Pratt & Whitney Company, the Connecticut Fire Insurance Company 
and the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company ; a trustee of the Con- 
necticut Trust and Safe Deposit Company, and a member of the Hartford Board of Trade. 

In philanthropic, religious and charitable enterprises his counsel is constantly sought, 
and in all educational movements in his native city he is looked upon as one whose ripe 
scholarship, as well as ci\-ic pride, may be trusted implicitly. In furtherance of these various 
aims and objects he has done an immense amount of work, having held for many years a 
number of responsible positions on committees and as a member of boards of directors and 
trustees and of the ecclesiastical associations of the state and city. He is a member of the 
Hartford Tract Society, and a trustee of the Wadsworth Athenaeum of Hartford, and also 
of the Hartford grammar school. He is likewise the vice-president of the Bar Association 
of Connecticut and also of that of Hartford county ; a member and ex-president of the Yale 
Alumni Association of Hartford, and one of the founders of the Connecticut Society of the 
Sons of the Revolution, to which he clainrs affiliation through descent from Col. Timothy 
Robinson, his great-grandfather, who served honorabl)- in the Revolutionary struggle. In 
recognition of his finished scholarship he received, in 1888, from his alma mater, Yale College, 
the degree of Doctor of Laws. 

In the domain of law Mr. Robinson stands among the foremost members of the Con- 
necticut bar, a position to which he has advanced through years of diligent study and 
industrious toil, and by successful practice of remarkable breadth and variety. His professional 
attainments are scholarly, and together with his high personal character have gained him 
wide esteem and many warm friendships on the bench and at the bar, as well as in private 
life. He possesses rare natural gifts as an orator, which have gained added force and brilliancy 
from his broad culture and sincere patriotism. Some of his public efforts in this capacity 
have been complimented in the warmest terms by capable critics, and have contributed largely 
to increase his popularity. His favorite themes are found in patriotism, loyalty, and devotion 
to country and to the broad interest of humanity. His oration at the unveiling of the Putnam 
equestrian statue at Brooklyn, Conn., in 1871, has been accorded a place with the most 
brilliant efforts of Connecticut's most gifted orators. He was the memorial orator at the 
Hartford obsequies of President Garfield and General Grant. A number of his Memorial Day 
addresses evince the loftiest patriotic sentiment, and have had a wide circulation in public 
prints. Of these the one delivered before the Grand Army of the Republic in 1885, was, 
perhaps, the best. Lack of space will prevent the insertion of more than a paragraph : 

Abraham Lincoln, at Gettysburg, said, in words that are already classic, "The world will little note nor 
long remember what we may say here, but it can never forget what they did here." It is a profound truth. 
Heroic deeds are better and greater than the best words. .-Vnd yet that is not all. When Mr. Lincoln added 
those words to the pearls of human elocjuence, did he do nothing? Was his utterance a mere flash of rhetoric 
to die in the air, like a fork of lightning? Was not his great thought, clothed as it was in epigram most 
attractive, itself a great action? Has it not stimulated to reverence and patriotism for these twenty years, and 
will it not sound down the coming ages as a tone of sacred melody? The hour for the sword was a supreme 
hour, and it was an hour for supreme action. But to the field of Gettysburg another hour had come, —an 
hour to gather lessons from heroic sacrifice, and to write them in history. It was an hour to pluck the 
blossoms which were then just unfolding upon the mounds of the martyrs. The patriot orator plucked them 
and lifted them, as a sacrament, to the eyes of the world, in his words of undying emphasis. And so in your 
memorial songs and eulogv and decorations for seventeen years, as truly if not as supremely as when you 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 321 

marched to the mouth of death at Gettysburg and Antietam, you have been teaching the sons and daughters 
of the Uuiou what is the glory and honor and worth of that patriotism which exchanged home and comfort 
for fevers in swamps, starvation in prison, and wounds and death iu the shock of battle. 

And it is here, noble veterans, survivors of this brave band of heroes, that \'ou have strange power above 
the power of other men. It is the consummate power of tragedy. From these gra%-es which you are honoring, 
and from your own graves which will be honored to-morrow, voices are speaking and will speak, which must 
find a hearing ; for the .struggles and sufferings of man are universal in their sway, and so, as tragedy is the 
ultimate of struggle and suffering, its power over human hearts is universal and measureless. The leaves which 
are stained with blood are the text-books of human life. 

By marriage, Mr. Robinson is connected with the famous Trumbull famih- of Connecticut, 
his wife, born Eliza Xiles Trumbull, being a daughter of John F. Trumbull of Stonington. 
His brother, the late Lucius F. Robinson, also married into this family, taking as wife, Eliza 
L. Trumbull, a daughter of Gov. Joseph Trumbull of Connecticut; and Dr. J. Hammond 
Trumbull of Hartford, married Sarah A., the elder sister of Mr. Robinson. Mr. and ]\Irs. 
Robinson are the parents of five children — Lucius F., Lucy T. (the wife of Mr. Sidney 
Trowbridge ]\Iiller of Detroit), Henr}- S., John T., and Mary S. The oldest son, Mr. Lucius 
F. Robinson, a graduate of Yale, was admitted to the bar in 1887, and is now the partner of 
his father. 




><L?ONVERSE, JULIUS, of Stafford, woolen manufacturer, and e.x-member of both 
branches of the state legislature, was born in that town on ^larch i, 1827. 
J/ He is of Huguenot origin and descends from Henry Converse, who came 

to America early in the last centtiry and resided during the closing years of 
his life at Thompson, Conn. Asa Converse, a son of the latter, removed from 
Thompson to Stafford about 1750. He married and became the father of six children, 
Solvin, James, Darius, Asa, Alpheus and Sybil. Solvin, the eldest .son, born in Stafford 
soon after his parents settled in that place, married, in 1780, Sarah, daughter of Josiah 
Holmes and granddaughter of Deacon Holmes, a highly respected resident of Woodstock, 
Conn. He died at Stafford, where he had resided during his entire lifetime, in March, 1813. 
He left eleven children, and Solva, the second son, and father of the subject of this sketch, 
was born at Stafford, April i, 1790. Early in life he married Esther, daughter of Deacon 
Alden Blodgett, who was a native of the same town. They had eleven children, three of 
whom died in infancy. Those who grew up were named Alnieda, .\deline S., .\lden S., 
Orrin, Josiah, Jtilius, Hannah B., and Frances E. Solva Converse was one of the pioneer 
woolen manufacturers in northern Connecticut. He was an enterprising and prosperous 
man, a worthy and respected citizen and an earnest Christian. He lived to the advanced 
age of eighty-eight, dying at Stafford, Nov. 22, 1877. Julius, the subject of this sketch, 
was his third son, and seems to have inherited many of his sterling qualities. 

Educated principally in the local public schools, young Converse pa.s.sed from them to 
the Ellington high school and finished his studies at an excellent private .school in Brimfield, 
'Mass. Desirous of obtaining a mastery of the business in which his father was successfully 
engaged, he connected himself with the Mineral Springs ^lanufacturing Company, which had 
its mills at Stafford, and having acquired the practical part of the work by actual labor, 
entered the counting-room of the company in order to learn the administrative part. 
Intelligent and devoted to the duties assigned him, he ro.se to be treasurer of the company, 
and in 1866 he became agent also. Managing the affairs of this dual position with con- 
summate skill and ability he built up a most profitable business, in which, by degrees, he 



322 REPRESENTATn'E MEN 

became a large shareholder, and, in 1885, the sole proprietor. ]Mr. Converse is joint owner 
also in the large woolen mill of Ellis & Converse, at Orcutt\ille, Conn., and is interested 
in a number of other enterprises of importance, in several of which he is the controlling 
spirit. 

He assisted in organizing the Stafford National Bank and was also an incorporator of 
the Savings Bank of Stafford Springs, and has since served in its directory. Another 
corporation, in the affairs of which he takes a great interest, is the Hartford Life and 
Annuity Insurance Compan\-. For man\- j'cars IVIr. Converse has been distinguished for his 
efforts to promote the interests of Stafford. As a means to this end he has used his 
influence and wealth to improve and Ijeautify the town, with the happiest results. The 
impetus given to the work through his generous aid has stimulated other citizens to take 
an interest in the task, and to-day the effect is witnessed in a variety of ways, all having 
an ele\-ating and refining iuflnence upon the inhabitants and tending to enhance the value 
of propert)- in the locality. 

While attending faithfully to his varied business interests as well as to this labor of 
love, Mr. Converse is a veiy busy man, but this fact does not interfere with his discharging 
the duties of citizenship in a political way. An ardent Republican ever since the formation 
of the party, he was a loyal supporter of the national authorities during the late Civil War. 
In 1865 and 1866, he served in the state House of Representatives, having been elected on the 
Republican ticket. In 1872, he was a presidential elector ou the Republican national ticket 
and cast his \-ote for Grant and Wilson. In 1877, he was elected to the state Senate 
defeating his opponent, one of the most popular Democrats in the state, by a heavy majority. 
In the Senate he served on the coiTimittee on finance and gave a most satisfactors- account 
of his stewardship. Still occupying the front rank as a party man he was sent as a delegate 
to the National Republican Con\eutiou at Chicago, in 1888, and cast his ballot for Harrison. 
It is doubtful if there is a more patriotic or public-spirited person resident in Stafford than 
ex-Senator Converse. His large interests there serve to keep alive his regard for the place, 
but down deeper and nearer to his heart than any purely monetary interest is his love for 
the place of his birth, the scene of his life-long labors and the center of his family ties. 

]\Ir. Converse married, June 11, 1S54, Miss Mira C. Lord of Stafford, and to this 
union there luux- been born eight children, four of whom, Lillia A., Eugenie H., Julius 
Carl and Louie S. are still li\-ino'. 




]AMERSLEY, WILLIAM, of Hartford, judge of the Supreme Court, was born 
in that city Sept. 9, 1838. He was the son of Hon. William James 
Hamersley, for many years a distinguished resident of Hartford, and at one 
time postnuister of the city. 

After passing through the grammar and high schools of Hartford, young 
Hamersley entered Trinity College in 1854, but never graduated. Deciding to use the 
legal profession as a means for attaining future honors and successes, in the middle of the 
senior year he left college to commence the study of law in the office of Welch & Shipman. 
While a student he spent a season in Europe, preparing himself by observation and study of 
European customs, laws and manners for the work which has commanded his chief considera- 
tion and interest through life. Admitted to the bar in 1859, he still clung to his old home, 
and at once began the practice of his profession. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S6T-1S94. 323 

Mr. Haiiierslev made his entrance into official life as a nienil)er of the Court of Common 
Council in 1863. Three A-ears later he was chosen vice-president of that hody, and for the 
years 1867 and 1868 he served as president. From 1866 to 1868, he held the position of city 
attorncv, and then resigned to accept an appointment as state's attorney for Hartford County, 
a position which he filkd for twenty years with great acceptability. 

In the legislature of 1886, he represented Hartford at the capital, and served on the 
committees on judiciary and federal relations. From the beginning of his career, Mr. 
Hamersley has been a hard-working, painstaking, studious and industrious man. A first rate 
city attorney, a thoroughly \-alnable state's attorney, and. a successful general lawyer has 
been the result. City or. state, and clients as well, ha\e been ably and faithfully served. 
Meanwhile, Mr. Hamersley has been a close student of interests and principles of the com- 
monwealth, and has contributed much essential aid in bringing aliont measures for the 
promotion of the public good. He was one of the founders of the Connecticiit vState Bar 
Association, and, with Richard D. Hubbard and Simeon E. Baldwin, constituted the committee 
of that association through whose initiatory efforts the American Bar Association was formed. 
Through its agency nuich of the most important legislation enacted during twenty years 
or more has been achieved. Mr. Hamersley was one of the original promoters of the civil 
procedure reform, and was a member of the commission which drafted the Practice Act, as 
well as the rules adopted by the court for giving due effect to that act. He was both early 
and acti\-e in promoting the impro\-ement in the juiy S}-stem in Connecticut. His life has 
mainly been given to the practice of his chosen profession, and to work relating to reform in 
law proceedings. 

Judge Hamersley Avas elected a memljer of the General Assembly of 1893, but on February 
8, he was nominated by Governor Morris a judge of the Superior Court for eight years from 
Feb. 16, 1893. He was promptly confirmed by concurrent vote in the General As.sembly on 
February 14, and resigned his seat in that body, declining later on to accept the pay due him 
as a representative. He was afterwards nominated by Governor [Morris to the vacancy in the 
supreme bench to occur Jan. 14, 1894, upon the retirement of Justice Carpenter, and, on May 
31, was confirnred by concurrent vote of both houses. 

He had scarcely become settled in his new position when he was elevated to a position 

on the supreme bench. Said the Hartford Times of IMay 12, 1893: 

Governor Morris, to-day, sent in the nomination of Judge William Hamersley to lie a Justice of the 
Supreme Court of Errors of this state, in the place of Justice Carpenter, whose term expires by age next 
January. The governor has made an excellent selection in this case — the best he could have made. Judge 
Hamersley is peculiarly well fitted to be a judge of the Supreme Court, by his clear knowledge of the science 
of law, and his close studies for over thirty years in his practice before the Superior and Supreme Courts. 
The tendency of his mind and his studies fit him for a place in the higher court. lu the brief time he has 
occupied a seat on the Superior Court bench, he has won the esteem of all who are concerned in that court. 
Without distinction of party the desire has been that Mr. Hamersley should go upon the Supreme Court bench 
next Januar)-, iu the place of Judge Carpenter, who will then be 70 years of -age, and cannot, under the Con- 
stitution, act any longer. 

He was confirmed for the Supreme Court without one vote against him in cither hou.se, 

and that notwithstanding the fact that his confirmation renders the Supreme Court Democratic. 

Had the Republican House cho.sen so to do, and had it been trp to, or rather down to, such 

small politics, it might have refused to confirm any Democrat and so kept the control with 

the Republicans, since the chief justice could have called up any Republican judge he chose 

to act with the four Supreme court members. The course of the Republicans deser\-es 

consideration for its fairne.ss and its elevation above petty tricken,-, and it indicates also a 

thorough appreciation of the honesty and trustworthiness of Mr. Hamersley, whom the 

House knows personally by direct association with him. It was a noteworthy compliment, 

but one fully deserved. 



324 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

A sketch of Mr. Hamersley in the Hartford Post, a paper politically opposed to him, 
closes with the following jnst estimate of his character: "He is a man of sound, substantial 
and unnsnal literary accomplishments. His papers on various subjects show his merit for 
clearness, strength and fine execution. His political speeches and ^•iews are argumentative, 
logical, and gi\e e^'idence of thorough research and knowledge. Probably his party associates 
hereabout would choose him sooner than any one else to present a defence of Democratic 
principles and tenets. No inducement could sway him one jot or tittle from the dictates of 
his conscience. Among his legal associates he is known for his extremely keen moral sense 
and scrupulous honor and courage, which know neither fear nor compromise. With the 
sturdiest of moral qualities, he is wholly charitable, considerate, and brave in sympathy and 
action." 




;ALLACE, ROBERT, of Wallingford, founder of the R. Wallace & Sons 
Manufacturing Company, was born in Prospect, Conn., Nov. 13, 1815. It 
was onlv a few months after the fate of Europe was settled for a generation 
at Waterloo, and it is safe to say that men of the same name contributed to 
the success of the English arms. There were stirring scenes being enacted in 
this country as well when the future manufacturer made his appearance in the world. He 
died Jan. i, 1892. 

The two great branches of the Anglo-Saxon stock which flourish at their best on the 
soil of Great Britain are united in his person. James Wallace, his father, was a farmer 
with small means, but he had all the heroic traditions of Scottish histoiy as they were 
handed down to him \)\ his ancestors. There is little doubt that the hero of whom it is 
sung "Scots wha hac wi' Wallace bled," is a remote progenitor. His mother's name was 
Urania Williams, a patronymic which stands well in English history. F'rom such an 
ancestry he inherited a sturdy constitution and a strong love of liberty. 

Receiving only a limited education, at the age of eighteen, young Wallace secured an 
old grist mill in Cheshire for a shop, and began the manufacture of spoons on his own 
account. A year had been spent amid these primitive surroundings when an event happened 
which people are prone to call "good luck." It is to be doubted if there is such a thing 
as "good luck" in the strict meaning of the word, but one may have the good sense to 
seize an opportunity when it is presented. Common sense Mr. Wallace possessed in a high 
degree. Note how he utilized a bit of information. Meeting a New Haven patron one da^- 
he was shown a spoon made from a metal new to both of them, known as German silver. 
What were its constituent parts? How was it compounded? No riddle of the ancients was 
ever more puzzling. Hearing that an analytical chemist. Dr. Louis Fechtwanger by name, 
had brought a small bar of the strange metal from German\-, he was applied to for the 
unravelling of the mystery. Mr. Wallace purchased the bar, had it rolled in Waterbur\-, 
and from it made four dozen spoons. 

While in Waterbur\- he had the good fortune to meet a gentleman who had recently 
arrived from England, and who brought with him the formula for making German silver. 
Restraining his eagerness somewhat, Mr. Wallace propo.sed to buy the formula, and finally 
the trade was effected for S25.00. Nickel, copper and zinc were procured, and the first 
German silver made in this countr\- was compounded in 1834 in the factory of Robert 
Wallace at Wallingford, and under his personal supervision. This event marked a new 
epoch in the manufacture of metal goods in the United States, and all honor should be 




^:!^Zrr;'-^t^--t>r^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, rS6r-i894. 325 

gi\en to the pioneer in the indnstry. It was at this period that the simple machinery was 
moved from the Cheshire grist mill to a good location on the Qninnipiac, below Walling- 
ford, and preparations were made for the mannfactnre of spoons and flat ware on a more 
extensive scale. When Mr. Wallace started in business the man who conld turn ont three 
dozen solid silver spoons in a day was a treasure, and they were pretty rough specimens, 
too. The product of his factory was then about nine dozen spoons per day. In those days 
it was a mystery to the proprietors where all the spoons went to and they often talked of 
cutting down the product for fear of over production. 

A score of years elapses, and a different scene is revealed to view. The crude processes 
of the past have been laid aside. Everything is done b}- new and improved machinery, 
the invention of Mr. Wallace, and all the work is perfoi'med in that methodical manner 
which is a reflex of the founder's character. In the easiest and quickest way must all 
goods in process of making be handled, and this style of handling must be perpetuated, for 
then do workmen become rapid and successful, and it is by these elements that profits 
accrue to any business. In 1855, the capital stock was only a paltry $1,200, a little later it 
was increased to $14,000, but, in 1865, this amount was raised to $100,000, and the name of 
the new combination was made Wallace, Simpson & Company. Great enlargements were 
made in the factory, and, b}- the introduction of improved machinerj-, its capacit}' for 
production was increased in a still higher proportion. Six years later, Mr. Wallace purchased 
the stock of his partner, Mr. Samuel Simp.son, and, with two of his sons, formed the new 
concern of R. Wallace & Sons ^lanufacturing Conrpany, one third of the stock being held 
by the IMeriden Britannia Company. As the years had gone on they had added a long list 
of articles in great variety of design — sterling goods, nickel silver-plated ware, both flat 
and hollow, of high grade, not to mention an extended line of novelties. 

The time had come for another advance in the processes of raanrafacture. Could a firmer 
and more elastic basis for silver-plated ware be found? Something lighter and less bulk\'. 
What of steel ? Numerous unsatisfactory- experiments were made, but at last Mr. Wallace's 
patience and persistence conquered all obstacles, and success was obtained. This invention 
doubled the plant of the company and also the business. The patent was infringed upon 
by the Oneida Cominunity, which gave rise to a great legal battle in which the Oneida 
people were defeated and pei-petually enjoined. He formed a new company, still working 
within the limits of the old one, of himself, his sons and sons-in-law, under the style of 
Wallace Brothers. The factory has grown to be the largest in the world devoted to the 
manufacture of flat table ware. The consumption of metal in all the departments is from two 
and a half to three tons of steel per day, and about half that amount of nickel silver. 
The concern has branch houses in New York and Chicago, and is never idle for lack 
of orders. The present officers of the company are members of his own family, and were 
schooled by the founder of the great industry. They are F. A. Wallace, president; Henrv 
L. Wallace, secretary ; and W. J. Leavenworth, treasurer, the latter being a son-in-law. 

A sketch of Mr. Wallace in the " History of New Haven County," has the following 
kindly words to say of him : 

It would be (HlTicuh to find a fiuer illustration of life-long, stead)% persistent attention to business than 
Mr. Wallace. Many attempts have been made to turn him aside, mauj* allurements have been thrown before 
him, such as entice most other men, but none of them have moved him in all his life from his single aim of 
being a first-class and foremost manufacturer in his special line of goods. He has been for many years one 
of the heaviest tax-payers in the town of Walliugford, and it has been the desire of many of his townsmen that 
he should serve them in official capacit}', and receive the honors of the town, but he has as steadily with- 
drawn himself from all appearance of notoriety, and preferred his daily business routine to political emolu- 
ments. His gathered wealth has given him the opportunity, and his large acquaintance might have furnished 

42 



326 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

the iuceutive of movcnieut in public in a showy style, but he has eschewed it all, purposely avoiding it and pre- 
ferring to be, among his fellow-men, a great deal more than seeming to be. His tastes are as simple to-day 
as they were when he was only eighteen j'ears of age, and hired an old grist mill in Cheshire and began 
the manufacture of spoons on his own account. 

Mr. Wallace has given an example of sterling integrit)', business enterprise, perseverence, indomitable 
will and keen forethought to his townsmen, and is held in high esteem by them. He has a warm, genial 
temperament, that may flash for a moment into vivid pyrotechnics and startle the workmen, but the next hour 
be, as in general, velvety as a fresh lawn. The appeals for charit}" are never turned aside. His family are 
provided with sittings in church and urged to fulfill zealously the duties of church life as becoming to man and 
due to his Maker. His large, well furnished home on Main street, Wallingford, is always open to his friends, 
and he is happy when his family and they are happy. 

This is such a correct estimate and tells the story so completely, that there is little 
left to be said. Having nearly reached the fonrscore years allotted to man, he passed on 
to his reward. Mr. Wallace was one of the old school of men. Up to the date of his 
last sickness he had his bench in the factory, where he was always to be found, apron on 
and hard at work, and ever ready to give information to tho.se who desired it. Like 
Mackay, the bonanza millionaire, he thought there was " too confoimded much quarter-deck " 
in the business offices, and it was rarely he was seen there. He was alw"ays at his little work- 
bench, with the men in the factory. 

Robert Wallace was married March 22, 1839, to Harriet Louisa Moulthrop of New 
Haven, Conn. She was singularly suited to him in her tastes for mutual companion- 
ship, and after almost exactly forty-five years of happy wedded life she passed on to her 
reward, Jan. 19, 1884, sincerely mourned by friends and neighbors. Ten children were born 
to them, of whom eight are living. One son died in infancy, and another, William J., at 
the age of thirty years. The living are Mrs. Adeline Morris and Mrs. Nettie A. Leav- 
enworth of Wallingford; Robert B. Wallace of Brooklyn, N. Y.; Hattie E. Wallace and Henry 
L. Wallace of Wallingford ; Mrs. Adela C. Sisson of New York ; George M. Wallace of 
Chicago, and Frank A. Wallace of Wallingford. 




fINDSLEY, CHARLES AUGUSTUS, M. D., of New Haven, was born at Orange, 
N. J., Aug. 19, 1826. Dr. Lindsle}' traces his family line to John Linle 
or Lind.sley who is known to have been in Bradford in 1650. His son, 
Francis, was one of the colonists who migrated to New Jersey and settled in 
Newark, in 1666. From him the line comes down through (3) Ebenezer, 
(4) Ebenezer, Jr., (5) Nathaniel, to (6) Daniel, who married Eliza, daughter of Stephen 
Condit, a descendant of one of the original settlers of Newark. After her death, he 
married Alicia ^L Gaston. Charles A. Lindsley was the only child by the first marriage. 
The early education of young Lindsley was obtained at the common schools of his 
native place and as a private pupil of his rector, Rev. J. A. Williams, and his preparation 
for college was received at the school of Rev. Mr. Ten Broek of _ Orange. Entering Trinity 
College, he received the degrees of A. B. and A. M. in 1849. After graduation he was em- 
ployed as first assistant at that standard institution, the Episcopal Academy at Cheshire, Conn., 
for otie year. The intricacies of the practice of medicine being attractive to his tastes, he 
commenced its study in the office of Dr. Asa J. Driggs of Cheshire, Conn. He also attended 
the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York, and the medical department of Yale 
College, taking two courses of lectures and receiving the degree of ]\L D. in 1S52. The same 
year he began the practice of his chosen profession in New Haven, where he has remained 
to the present time, gaining an honorable name as a medical practitioner, and securing a 
lucrative circle of clients. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 327 

In i860, when in his thirty-fonrth year, Dr. Lindsley was appointed professor of materia 
medica and therapeutics at Yale College, and filled that responsible position nntil 1883, and 
since that time has been professor of theory and practice of medicine, and for more than a 
score of years was dean of the medical facnlty. 

From 1864 to 1876, Dr. Lindsley was attending physician of the Connecticnt State 
Hospital, being secretarj^ of the Hospital Society from 1865 to 1877, and was health officer of 
New Haven from 1874 to 1888. E\'er\-thing that tends to the development of medical science 
or the broadening of its scope, finds in Dr. Lindsley an active supporter. He has been a 
member of the New Haven Medical Societ)' for many years, and, in 1877, served as its presi- 
dent. He also holds a membership in the General Hospital Society of Connecticnt, and is an 
honorary member of the New Jersey Medical Societ)'. In 1875-76, he was president of the 
Connt}- Medical Association; was president of the Connecticut Medical Society in 1892, which 
was the centennial year of its organization, and was vice-president of the American Medical 
Association in 1891-92. 

Ontside of the immediate lines of his profession, Dr. Lindsley takes a deep interest in 
all that makes for the highest physical welfare of the community. He was one of its most 
active promoters and has been a member of the Connecticut State Board of Health since its 
organization in 1878, and since the death of Dr. C. W. Chamberlin, in 1884, he has been 
secretary of the board and its executive officer. He is president of the International Con- 
ference of State and Provincial Boards of Health, and, in 1S77, was vice-president of the 
American Public Health Association. One of the originators of the New Haven Dispensary 
in 1863, he served as vice-president till the death of Governor Euglish, and since that time 
he has been president of that beneficent institution. 

Dr. Lindsley's contributions to the literature of his profession cover a long series of years, 
and in the special field to which he has largely devoted his efforts they are considered the 
standard. Commencing in 1858, his first paper was "A Dissertation on Puerperal Convul- 
sions," which was published in the proceedings of the Connecticut Medical Society. From 
1874 to 1887, he edited the annual reports of the New Haven Board of Health, with tabulated 
statements of the vital statistics of the town of New Haven. In 1878, he wrote an extended 
paper on "Registration of Vital Statistics in Connecticut; " in 1879, one on " Sanitary and 
Unsanitary Conditions of the Soil ; " in 1880, his subject was " Prevailing Methods of Sewage 
Dispo.sal ; " and in 1881, "Vaccination." All these papers were published in the annual 
reports of the Connecticut State Board of Health, and each was worthy of special mention. 
Taking as his subject "Proprietary Medicines — their use demoralizing to the medical pro- 
fession and detrimental to the public welfare," iii 1882, Dr. Lindsley prepared a most valuable 
article, deserving of wide-spread circulation. From 1884 to 1891, he edited the annual reports 
of the State Board of Health, and for the same years he edited the annual registration reports 
of the vital statistics of Connecticut, and neither the amount of work required, nor its value 
to the state at large, can easily be overestimated. " Facts in Sanitation of Practical Value " 
was published in the report of the Connecticut Board of Agiiculture for 1889. His address 
as president of the Connecticut Medical Society in 1892, was principall)- devoted to the 
"Beginning and growth of Sanitary Legislation in Connecticut," and here again his long 
and extended experience gave his opinion great weight. 

Throughout the entire state, Dr. Lindsley is everywhere counted in the ver\- front rank 
of his profession, and he richly deserves the reputation he has gained b}' more than two score 
years of faithful service to suffering humanity. His literary labors have been vastly beneficial, 
and, as will be noted, are very practical in their nature, and along the line of improvement 
in public health and morals. His influence in this direction is wide-spread, and its value to 
the world at large can scarcely be estimated too highly. 



328 REPRESENTATIl-E MEN 

Dr. Lindsley was nuirried April 13, 1852, to Lydia L., daughter of Major Aaron B. 
Harrison of Orange, N.J. Three children have been bom to them: Harrison W., who was 
a promising architect and died Dec. 27, 1893 ; C. Purdy, who has followed in his father's 
footsteps, and has an Vl. D. attached to his name, and Caroline. 






rs 




TTyrllCKS, RATCLIFFE, of Tolland, president of the Canfield Rubber Conipan>- of 

'/{ Bridgeport, was born at Tolland, Conn., Oct. 3, 1843. 

P L^^rPil ?J Thomas Hicks, the American ancestor of this branch of the Hicks family, 

came from London, England, to Scituate, Mass., and took the oath of fidelity 
there in 1644, his brother Robert having arrived earlier in 162 1, in the ship 
"Fortune." From Thomas the line comes down through (2) Daniel, ^3) Daniel, Jr., (4) 
Benjamin, (5) David, to (6) Ratcliffe. He was a resident of Providence, R. I., and was a 
seafaring man, being captain of a vessel, and in the pursuit of his calling made nnmerous 
voyages along the American coast and to foreign shores. His son, Charles R., married Maria 
A. Stearns, and the present Ratcliffe Hicks was their oldest child. 

Pursuing his preparatory studies at ]\Ionson Academy, young Hicks entered Brown 
University in i860, and was graduated with the degree of A. B., in 1S64. While in college 
he was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternit}', and took high rank in his class, being one 
of the commencement orators. His first occupation in life was as a teacher of the school in 
his native village, and at the same time he began the stud}- of law in the office of Jtxdge Loren 
P. Waldo, the teaching experience and legal research extending over the years from 1864 to 
1866. In the last named year he was admitted to the bar of Connecticut, and during the 
same year he formed a partnership with United States Senator Piatt of Meriden, and continued 
this business relation for three years, adding largely to his stock of knowledge of Connecticut 
law by his association with the senior member of the firm. The next ten successive years 
were spent in practice alone, and the last three were passed in the city of Hartford. The 
success he attained at the bar has rarely been surpassed by a man of his years. Mr. Hicks's 
widely extended practice caused him to be identified with many of the important cases of the 
New England courts. Possibh- the most notable was the celebrated Sprague suit in Rhode 
Island, where a fee of $10,000 was received, probably the largest on record in that state. 
His subsequent prominence as a manufacturer has somewhat obscured his reputation as a 
lawyer, but those whose memories include the docket from 1871 to 1881, will think of him 
first as a brilliant lawyer, and it .seemed almost a pity to spoil so promising a legal light even 
to make the excellent man of business he proved to be. 

Becoming connected with the Canfield Rubber Company of Bridgeport, in 1882, Mr. 
Hicks was elected president, and has since devoted his great executive ability to the manage- 
ment of its interests. Under his fo.stering direction this concern has increased its capital 
stock from $10,000 to $250,000, and besides it has a surplus of as much more, with sales 
aggregating $1,000,000 yearly. A couple of paragraphs are quoted from the Neiv York 
Independent oi December, 1893: " The history of the Canfield Rubber Company is remarkable 
from the fact that it was only in 1882 that it was organized with a capital of $10,000. They 
had at that time a little manufacturing establishment, and virtually felt their way year by 
year, seeing the demand for their goods increase, and year by year they saw the necessity for, 
and did increase their plant and add to their capital, until now their capital stock is represented 
by $250,000, with a surplus of the same amount, and their sales amoiant to about $1,000,000 




^ ^ 







OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 329 

a j-ear. Of course they long since stopped enlarging their original factory, and have erected 
one of mammoth proportions, suitable in every respect for their particular line of manu- 
facture. Their capacity now exceeds 5,000,000 pairs of dress shields per year. 

The display made at the World's Fair by the Canfield Rubber Company was a very 
creditable one indeed. The company had on exhibition two wax figures, one representing 
Jared H. Canfield, the inventor of the Canfield seamless dress shield, and the other representing 
a working girl to whom he was explaining the method of manufacturing the dress shield. 
The figures were so strikingly realistic that large luimbers of people upon fir.st viewing them 
supposed them to be living persons. 

Speaking on the same subject, the New York Sun said: "Mr. Ratcliffe Hicks, president 
of the company, is a man of remarkable business ability. His success is due, not more to the 
self-recommending article he set out to manufacttxre, than to his untiring and ingenious efforts 
to make every woman in the land give it at least one trial." And the Sun evidently has a 
verv just appreciation of Mr. Hicks's characteristics. 

Though by no stretch of the imagination could he be classed as an office seeker, Mr. 
Hicks has had a share of official honors, and one need not be a prophet to foresee 3'et 
higher honors in store for him in the future. He represented the constituency of Tolland 
in the state legislature of 1866, and had the distinction of being the youngest member at 
that session. He was sent again to the legislature in 1893, and was a member of several 
important committees, rendering excellent ser\-ice on each. His speech on constitutional 
reform was his greatest effort, and it brought him much favorable comment. Two paragraphs 
are selected as showing the style of the whole : 

''I have one appeal to make to the members of this House. To most of them it does 
not make a penny's difference who carries this state politically two years hence. The sun 
wall shine, the grass will grow and business go on the same, whichever political party 
triumphs. This country' is lost and saved regularly every four years. Let us do right, let 
us make a record that we can live by and die by, that merits the approval of our own con- 
sciences, and of the intelligent future historian who will some da}- write up the record of 
this General Assembly. No party has permanently triumphed politically in this country. 
The paity that is down to-day is up to-morrow. The political cauldron of American politics 
is like the ebb and flow of the ocean, but there is one thing always safe to do, and then, 
whether success or defeat awaits you, you have the consciousness of having done the right 
thing, and in the end history will vindicate our action." 

He closed with the following ringing words: "I shall vote for this bill, not because 
I think it will benefit the Democratic party, for I do not think that either political party 
will reap any permanent political advantages from a constitutional convention, but I shall 
vote for this bill because it is right. This question rises above all party politics. The state 
is greater than any political party. Our children and our children's children have an 
abiding interest in our action to-day. I prefer to stand where the old Roman stood, and to 
do right though the heavens fall." 

Mr. Hicks was city attorney of Meriden from 1869 to 1S74, and from 1873 to 1876, 
he was also attorney for the county of New Haven. Before the Democratic State Con- 
vention of 1892, it seemed as if he had a safe lead for the nomination as lieutenant- 
governor. Indeed, .several papers went so far as to say that " For second place on the ticket 
it is given out as if by authority, that Ratcliffe Hicks, formerly of Meriden, but now of 
Tolland, retired from business, will be the man. Mr. Hicks is a lawyer of recognized ability, 
and a Democrat of the old school. He would have the advantage of being thoroughly 



330 REPRESENTATHE MEN 

known throiiglioiit tlie state, wliich is more than can be said of some of the men who have 
been suggested for the place." But for reasons which appeared good to him he stepped 
aside, and the prize went to a personal friend. 

Having but just crossed the half century line of life, he is now in the very prime of his 
manhood, and the citizens of his native state will doubtless find more use for his execu- 
tive • ability and his acquaintance with affairs which is the result of his long legal and 
business experience, to which may be added the breadth acquired by extended travel in 
foreign lands. Being of a lively and social disposition, he is a member of the Lotus 
and Colonial clubs of New York City. He has a comfortable share of this world's goods, 
being several times a millionaire, with large real estate interests in Meriden, Bridgeport, 
New Orleans and New York. 

^Ir. Hicks was married in 1S79, to ;\Irs. Wilbur F. Parker of ^Meriden, Conn. One 
child has been added to the family circle. 



-;>,^ ^. TTOOLSEY, THEODORE DWIGHT, D. D., LL.D., ex-president of Yale College, 
jl New Haven, was born in New York, Oct. 31, 1801. Died July i, 1889. 
7 i The first Americ 




rican ancestor of his line was George Woolsey, who settled 
among the Dutch, in what is now the state of New York, during the early 
part of the seventeenth century. The Rev. Benjamin Woolsey, of Southold, 
Iv. I., grandson of the original immigrant, graduated at Yale College in 1709, and spent 
the last twenty years of his life at Dosoris, now Glen Cove, on the same island, in the 
enjoyment of a considerable estate, which came to" him through his wife. His grandson, 
William Walton Woolsey, born at Dosoris in 1766, became a merchant in New York, and 
was long an important member of the Chamber of Commerce, treasurer of the American 
Bible Society, and in connection with various other public institutions. He married 
Elizabeth, si.ster of President Dwight, of Yale College, who had previously married his 
sister. By her he had seven children, all of whom attained maturity and became heads of 
families. The sixth of these was Theodore Dwight Woolsey, who graduated at Yale 
College in 1820. 

Soon after his graduation young Woolsey went to Philadelphia and read law, says the 
"Biographical Encyclopedia of Connecticut and Rhode Island" — but with no wish or 
intention to prepare himself for the practice of the legal profession — in the office of Charles 
Chauncey, Esq., a near relative of his father by marriage. The two following years were 
spent at Princeton in the study of theology, to which he had devoted himself. In 1823-25 
he served as a tutor in Yale College, having received appointment to that ofhce some 
months before leaving Princeton. He then resumed the study of theology, and was licensed 
to preach in 1825. After further study at home he went to Europe, in May, 1827, and was 
absent a little more than three years, residing for purposes of study in France and Germany 
for about two years, and spending the remainder of the time chiefly in England and Italy. 
Returning home in July, 1830, he was elected, in the course of 1831, to the profes.sorship 
of Greek in his Alma Mater, and held that office for the next fifteen ' years. During the 
earlier portion of his incumbency he published editions of the " Alcestis of Euripides," 
Camb., .1833, i2nio; the ''Antigone of Sophocles," 1835, ramo ; the "Prometheus of 
^schylus," 1837, i2mo; the " Electra of Sophocles," 1837, lamo; and the " Gorgias of 



OF CONNECTICUT, rS6i-iSg^. 331 

Plato," chiefly according to " Stallbaum's Text," 1842, 121110 — which, taken together, 
constitute a more considerable contribution to Greek learning than had been made by any 
earlier Greek scholar in the United States. The able and critical C. C. Felton, reviewing 
these productions in the Noi-lh American, said: "Professor Woolsey has now completed his 
proposed course of Greek Tragedies. He has given specimens from runong the best works 
of the three masters in an agreeable form, and accompanied by a bod}- of notes which 
deserve all praise." A. P. Peabody, in the same periodical, wrote: "We have been 
astonished to find how easily they (Nos. i, 2, 3 and 4) have initiated the veriest novices 
in Greek into the intricacies of the ancient drama." 

In 1842, Professor Woolsey was one of a committee that established the New Englandcr, 
the Rev. Dr. Leonard Bacon being the principal founder and contributor. President 
Woolsey's papers, we understand, number over sixty. Among these, four extensive articles 
on the" Revival of Learning in the Middle Ages," several on "Divorce," especially in the 
United States, and three on the "Treaty of W^ashington," together with an address on the 
" Life and Services of President Day," have been the most noticeable. Those on "Divorce" 
were afterward enlarged and published in a separate work, entitled, " Essays on Divorce and 
Divorce Legislation, with Special Reference to the United States" (New York, 1869; 
i2mo, pp. 308). On such a topic as this opinions are widely divergent. The Christian 
public, however, gave them close attention, in view of " the exactness and thoroughness 
with which they discussed the legal effects of this great question, as well as from the sound 
discrimination displayed in the examination of its social aspects." 

In 1845, the health of his wife required Professor Woolsey to be absent from his post 
for a considerable portion of the year, during which he visited England, France and Italy, 
and had the great satisfaction of going to Athens, and of travelling into the Peloponnesus 
and Boeotia. Before his return President Day had determined to resign the office which he 
had filled with most eminent success and acceptance ; and on finding that it was the earnest 
and general wish of the trustees, the faculty, and the public that he should be the successor 
of that gentleman, Professor Woolsey, after some weeks of hesitation, consented to occupy 
his place, which he did for the next quarter of a centurj-. His next volume consisted of 
"Discourses and Addresses at the Ordination of Rev. Theodore D. Woolsey, LL.D., and 
his Inauguration as President of Yale College," Oct. 21, 1846 (New Haven, 1846; 8vo, 
pp. 100.) In his inauguration discourse he expatiated upon the value of a classical 
education. The preacher was an exemplification of his own theorj-, and as such had been 
honored by the diploma of LL.D. from the Wesleyan University in the preceding year. A 
"Historical Discourse," pronounced before the graduates of Yale College, one hundred and 
fifty years after the foundation of that institution, was his next publication, and was issued 
in 1850. Had it been expanded into one or even two volumes, it would doubtless have 
given greater satisfaction. 

Being, by his election to the president's chair, divorced from the teaching of Greek, 
Dr. Woolsey gave instructions by text-book and lectures in History, Political Econorav, and 
International Law^ The latter subject, to which he had not been wholly a stranger, 
received from him a good deal of attention, and after some fourteen ^•ears of stud}- and 
instniction he published in i860, his " Introduction to the Study of International Law. 
Designed as an Aid in Teaching and in Historical Studies." Revi.sed and enlarged editions 
have since been published — five in all — each containing improvements on the imperfect first 
one. Some of the highest living authorities have commended this work in the warmest 
terms. "It is not only excellent in itself," said the A £>;-//^ ^iw^r/crtw y?(?z'/k^7i', "but it meets 
a want long felt. Till now there has not been a fit text-book on International Law for our 



332 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 

college classes. For this use President Woolsey's work is especially adapted." It is now nsed 
extensively in the academical and collegiate institutions of the United States, and is also a 
text-book in the English universities. It has been republished twice in England, has been 
translated into Chinese, under the superintendence ^f Dr. W. .\. P. Martin, president of 
the Imperial Tungwai College, and also into Japanese. 

In 187 1, at the ripe age of seventy years. Dr. Woolsey resigned the presidency of the 
universit}' over whose fortinies he had presided so long, but he ever manifested the deep- 
est interest in its welfare as a member of the Board of Trustees, or Fellows, as the charter 
of the college calls them, down to the year of his death. In the same year appeared in 
New York a volume of sermons from his pen, entitled, " The Religion of the Past and the 
Future," also two sermons, published in New Haven, on " Serving our Generation," and 
"God's Guidance in Youth." After the death of Prof. Francis Lieber, in 1872, president 
Woolsey re-edited, with notes, his work on " Civil Liberty and Self-Government," (Phila- 
delphia, 8vo, 1874); also his " Manual of Political Ethics," (two vols., 8vo, 1874). In 1878, 
Dr. Woolse\- published a work in two large volumes, entitled, "Political Science," or, the 
" State Theoretically and Practically Considered," which contains the results of the researches 
and reflections of man)- years. Among his other publications is " Helpful Thoughts for 
Young ilen." He also published sundry single sermons, and was a contributor to the 
Bihliolheca Sacra, Biblical Repository, Journal of the American Oriental Society, College Cour- 
ant, (New Haven), Independent, etc., etc., and also translated for Dr. Andrews's "Latin- 
English Lexicon," founded on the larger Latin-German Lexicon of Dr. William F'reund, 
(New York, 1851). His eulogy on the late president C. C. Feltou, in the Smithsonian 
Report, 1861, and his contributions to the Boston Lectures for 1870, entitled, "Christianity 
and Scepticism," all deser\e mention in the record of a busy and beneficent life. He issued 
a small book on "Communism and Socialism," — theories which are shaking the founda- 
tion of European empires, and which make themselves felt even in our democratic republic 
— the principal matter of which was first published in the Independent, an influential New 
York weekly newspaper. 

Ex-President Woolsey devoted a considerable part of his time in the latter part of his 
life to the rexision of the New Testament, he being a member and the chairman of the 
American company engaged in that work in concert with the British revisers. "Through 
desire, a man having separated himself intermeddleth with all knowledge," is a generaliza- 
tion whose justice this truly representative American scholar most thoroughly vindicates. For 
several j-ears he was one of the regents of the Smithsonian Institution, and for twenty-five 
years, until he had reached the age of seventy, one of the most prominent college presidents in 
the land. Dr. Noah Porter, his cho.sen successor, forcibly expresses the estimate of Dr. 
WooLsey, by all who knew him best, in the words: " As a scholar. President Woolsey is 
distinguished for the exactness of his knowledge, the extent of his erudition, and the breadth 
and sagacity of his judgment ; as a teacher, for the glow of his imaginative and ethical spirit, 
and for the vigor of his impartiality in searching after and imparting the truth ; as a theo- 
logian, for the extent of his biblical knowledge, the catholicity and candor of his theological 
opinions, and the ferxor of his childlike faith ; as a friend, for the warmth and endurance of 
his attachments ; and as a man, for a rare assemblage of qualities which ha\-e secured to him 
an enviable place in the love and respect of his generation. Few men have been more dis- 
tingui-shed in this country for eminence in so great a variety of departments of scholarship 
and culture, and few men ha\-e secured for themselves the solid respect of so great a number 
of their countrymen for high personal and moral excellence." 




6ac^-.^ 5^^ 



r 



l&ssachuaetts 



OF CONNECTICUT, iSdr-rSg^. 333 

President Woolsey was married, Sept. 5, 1833, to Elizabeth AI., oiilv daut^hter of Josiah 
Salisbury. She died Nov. 3, 1852, leaving three sons and six daughters, of whom one 
daughter and one son are still living. The son was graduated from Yale University in 1872, 
and from Yale Law School in 1876, and since 1879 has been professor of international law 
at the last named department. For his second wife, President Woolsey married Sarah S., 
daughter of Gilman Pritchard of Boston, Mass., Sept. 6, 1854, who survives him, with two 
daughters and one son. 




|YDE, ALVAN PINNEY, head of the law firm of Hyde, Gross & Hyde, was 
born in Stafford, March 10, 1825. He died in Hartford, Feb. 6, 1894. 

Mr. Hyde came of a good old Puritan stock. He was a lineal descendant 
in the seventh generation of William Hyde, who came from England in 1633, 
with Rev. Thonras Hooker, and who, three weeks later, was one of the company 
that followed Hooker to the Connecticut valley and settled the town of Hartford. The name 
of William Hyde is on the monument in the old Hartford burying-ground, as one of the 
eai'liest settlers. He was an original proprietor of the town of Norwich, which was settled in 
1660, as was also his son, Samuel. The fourth son of Samuel Hyde was Thomas; the second 
son of Thomas was Jacob ; the second of Jacob was Ephraim ; the eldest son of Ephraim was 
Nathaniel, and the eldest son of Nathaniel was Alvan, who was the father of the subject of 
this sketch. 

Nathaniel Hyde, his grandfather, and Alvan Hyde, his father, were both iron manu- 
facturers of Stafford, and both of them successful in their day. Alvan Hyde married Sarah, 
daughter of Isaac Pinney, Esq., of Stafford. A brief sketch of Mr. A. P. Hyde in the 
"History of Tolland County," contains the following paragraph: "His pai^ents stood during 
their lives among the foremost in the old town of Stafford. His father was often elected to 
represent his town in the state legislature, and was also one of the selectmen of the town. 
His mother, in the church and in the neighborhood where she lived, was regarded as ' a 
mother in Israel,' to whom all the poor, the sick and unfortunate were free to apply, with a 
certainty of having their needs supplied. She was a 'saint,' if ever there was one on earth, 
her ears and her heart being always open to every appeal of the needy, and her hand as open 
as her heart to relieve their wants and necessities. His father died, leaving a reputation, not 
only as a good business man, but as a thoroughly honest man, whose word was as good as any 
other man's bond. Hence it is not difficult to account for the 'soul of honor' that dwells so 
characteristically in their son. Their worthy names and examples are justly enshrined in his 
memory, while their distinctive traits are simply reproductions in characteristic form in him." 
After passing through the public schools of his native town, young Hvde was prepared 
for college at Monson Academy, and, entering Yale College, graduated with honor in the class 
of 1845. He was a member of the Skull and P>ones Society, and occupied a position of 
respect, influence and leadership in his class. Among his classmates were Gen. Henry B. 
Carrington, William E. Downes of Birmingham, Gen. Basil Duke of St. Louis, the late Con- 
stantine C. Esty, ex-congressman from Massachusetts, the late Mayor Carter H. Harrison of 
Chicago, George W. Sheffield of New Haven, the late Gen. Richard Taylor, son of Ex-Pres. 
Zachary Taylor, and who served with distinction in the Confederate army, the late As.sociate 
Justice William B. Woods of the United States Supreme Court, the late Daniel Chadwick of 
Lyme, the late Judge Henry Day of New York, and the Rev. John Wheeler Harding of 
Longmeadow, Mass. 

43 



334 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



Choosing the legal profession as one best suited to his tastes as the vocation of his future 
life, he commenced the study of the intricacies of law in the office of the late Hon. Loren P. 
Waldo, then the distinguished lawyer of Tolland, and a professor at Yale College. INIr. Hyde 
was admitted to the bar at Tolland in 1847, but retained his residence in his native town 
until 1849, when he removed to Tolland, and associated himself with Judge Waldo, who in 
the meantime had become his father-in-law. This connection lasted for five years, when jNIr. 
Hyde desired a wider field of action and transferred his residence to Hartford, in which change 
Judge Waldo accompanied him. In 1867, the late Gov. R. D. Hubbard joined the firm, and 
the title became Waldo, Hubbard & Hyde. Ten years later Mr. Charles E. Gross was 
admitted as a partner, and in 1881, on the death of Judge Waldo, the firm assumed the name 
of Hubbard, Hyde & Gross. About this time William Waldo H3-de and Frank Eldridge 
Hyde, sons of INIr. Hyde, were made members of the firm. Both of the new partners were 
graduates of Yale College, and it is a singular coincidence that all of the members of the firm 
at that time and since have been distinguished Yalensians. The death of Governor Hubbard 
in 1884, involved a new change in the firm name, which was then made, and remained Hyde, 
Gross & Hyde until his death. 

Official situations naturally seek men of ilr. Hyde's stamp. He made his entry into 
political life as a member of the General Assembly for the town of Tolland in 1854. Re- 
elected in 1858, and again in 1862, he served on several committees of importance. In the 
Masonic Order j\Ir. Hyde always evinced a lively interest, and was acquainted with all the 
degrees up to the thirty-second. He was initiated into Uriel Lodge, located at ]\Ierrow Station, 
in Tolland County, in 1858. Such was his zeal for the order that in May, 1862, he was 
elevated to the rank of grand master of the Connecticut Grand Lodge, and was reelected the 
following year. His administration was eminently successful. Next to his home and family 
Mr. Hyde loved his alma mater. He was an enthusiastic Yale man, and attended all the 
reunions of his class, and every other Yale event possible. He was president of the Yale 
Alumni Association of Hartford, but was prevented by his enfeebled condition attending 
the last annual banquet, over which his son, Mayor H)-de, presided. He was always a host 
at any Yale entertainment ; his speeches the wittiest and his laughter the most contagious. 

Mr. Hyde was an extensive traveller and had visited all sections of the United States, 
including the far off Alaska, and was not a stranger to many portions of Europe. Always a 
regular attendant at the South Church, he was at one time a member of the society's committee, 
and was much interested in church affairs. 

In political matters he affiliated with the Democratic party, and was one of the best 
exponents of its principles in the state. After his removal to Hartford he was the candidate 
of his party for congressional honors three times, but failed of election in each instance. 

Mr. Hyde was a gentleman of broad culture and intelligence, and his standing at the bar 
was one of marked distinction and honor. He held a high place among the ablest lawyers 
of the state, and the list of his peers in the profession was extremely limited. His forensic 
ability was not less brilliant than his legal, and his flights of eloquence commanded universal 
admiration. As a public speaker his services were often sought after, and he has delivered 
addresses on numerous prominent occasions. It is onh^ a plain statement of an acknowledged 
fact to say that ViX. Hyde was one of the most gifted men in Connecticut, and the people of 
the state would have honored themselves by placing him in any position which was in their 
power to bestow. 

Although ]\Ir. Hyde's career of public service and usefulness was mainly pursued and 
chiefly accomplished along the lines of his chosen profession, he was, nevertheless, connected 
with many of the public institutions of the city — social, educational, humane, financial and 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 335 

religious — and earnestly engaged for their support and good management. All movements 
for the improvement of the city and communit)- that commended themseh-es to his good 
judgment received his cordial and generous support, and it is universally admitted that by 
his removal the city of Hartford has lost one of its most public-spirited, most influential and 
esteemed citizens. His valuable counsel in the direction of several of our prominent mercantile 
institutions was highly appreciated. Directly or indirectly he generously assisted many of 
our benevolent and humane institutions, and was a sympathetic friend and helper of the 
deserving poor. 

Alvan P. Hyde was married in 1849, to Frances Elizabeth, daughter of Judge Loren P. 
Waldo. Their children are William Waldo Hyde, now mayor of Hartford, and Frank 
Eldridge Hyde, United States consul at Lyons, France, both of whom have been associated 
with their father in the practice of the legal profession. 

;\Ir. Hyde had an elegant home on Charter Oak place, the ground including the spot 
where the Charter Oak, so famous in Connecticut history, stood for centuries. All the historic 
associations of the locality were reverently preserved, as he was one of the most ardent of 
patriots, as well as the most fascinating of orators. 

After being in delicate health for se\-eral months, necessitating his withdrawal from active 
business, ]Mr. Hyde had planned for a journey to Florida with his wife; but on the 6th of 
February, 1894, the veiy day of his intended departure, he was taken suddenly ill and sank 
gradualh- until he passed away, from heart failure, resulting from the weakened state of his 
system. Many were the tributes paid to his memory by the newspapers representing all shades 
of political thought, and all united in bearing testimou}- to his sterling worth of character and 
his almost unequalled ability as a lawyer. The editorial comment of the Hartford Post, a 
paper not in sympathy w-ith him politicalh', well voiced the sentiments of the rest : 

Hon. \. P. H\-de, who died yesterday, has long been held cue of the leading Connecticut lawyers and one 
of the ablest of Democratic advisers in the state. His withdrawal from active practice because of the illness 
which has resulted in his death is a loss to the legal fraternity of the state. In many branches of law he had 
few superiors. He was perhaps the highest authority on riparian rights in New England, and his knowledge 
of this branch of the law as it pertained to Connecticut was complete. As an advocate he was clear, earnest, 
and successful. With a good grasp of his case he was a good speaker and when the occasion demanded it he 
could be eloquent or witty. He was a loval son of Yale aud he has occupied a conspicuous place among its 
honored alumni. 

At a meeting of the bar of Hartford, called to take action on his death, the following 
resolutions were presented by Hon. Henry C. Robinson, and unanimously adopted: 

In the death of the Hon. Alvau Pinney Hyde the bar has lost an eminent lawyer. Nature equipped him 
for usefulness. His frame was strong and stalwart, his intellect penetrating and logical, aud his moral character 
honest and sound. Study and culture developed his natural powers. A long career of honorable practice 
carried him to the front rank of the profession and its most important activities, whence he retired for a few 
months of sickness, and died. He had an instinct for correct reasoning. His thoughts flowed out in a clear and 
forcible sentiment. He was faithful to his client aud his cause, and his own conscience as well, from the first 
hour of examination until the last decree of the court was registered. If he succeeded he was generous, if he 
lost he was brave. In consideration for his associates he had no superior, in dealing with his opponents he 
was always fair. His broad outfit for professional achievement made him a favorite counselor and advocate in 
large interests, but he was never deaf to the inquiry nor reluctant to serve the cause of the humble client. He 
w'on his victories by direct aud open attack ; he had no use for indirection uor intrigue. No problem of logic 
puzzled his reflection, and no crisis confused his perception. His knowledge of jurisprudence was reinforced 
b}- a large knowledge of human nature, for he was full of humanity. He had, what is of supreme importance 
in furnishing a good lawyer or a good judge, a fine sense of that natural justice which underlies the written 
law of statutes and constitution. He was fair to a witness, for he was full of kindness, .\ggressive in his 
assertions of a righteous cause, he delighted to fight fraud aud tyranny, but he had only sympathy for the 
unfortunate and the weak. He loved the law and his love was returned. His name and his life are woven into 
the records of our courts for the last forty years. 



336 REPRESENTATI]-E MEN 

In business circles he was influential and useful. He was skillful in banking, insurance and book-keeping. 
He was fearless and upright in public life. As a friend he was true ; as a husband, father and brother, he was 
tender and self-sacrificing. His genial presence was a joy to companionship. He brought much sunlight and 
uo darkness to social life. He was full of hope. He believed in man, individualh' and socialU-, and for 
cynicism and pessimism neither his head nor his heart had any harbor. His career was successful and honor- 
able. We remember him and will remember him with respect, admiration and love. We will attend his 
funeral in a bodj', and the clerk of the bar will enter this minute upon our records and transmit a cop)- of it 
to his family. 




^OOMIS, FRANCIS B., of New London, ex-lieiitenant-governor of Connecticut, 
ras born at Lyme, April 9, 1812. He died July 13, 1892. 

The Looniis family is one of marked distinction, as it has been known in 
England for more than four hundred and fifty years, and at a still earlier 
period in Lombardy and Spain. F. B. Loomis was a lineal descendant of 
Joseph Loomis, who emigrated from Braintree, Essex County, England, in 1638. Joseph 
Loomis and his family were among the first settlers of Windsor, the oldest town in Con- 
necticut. The homestead built by them more than two hundred and fifty }'ears ago in that 
town is still in a perfect state of preservation, and is occupied by one of the descendants 
bearing the name of L,oomis, who holds the original land purchased. Of the five sons of 
Joseph Loomis the line comes down throtigh the second. Deacon John Lomnis. He was 
a representative to the legislatvtre for four different sessions, and his monument ma)- be 
seen in the old Windsor burying ground. Dauiel Loomis, son of John, had a son John, 
who was the father of Joel Loomis, the father of the governor. 

Joel Looniis was an influential public man, a frequent representative of his town in 
the General Assembly, judge of probate for many years; for a brief period an associate judge 
of the county court, and the intimate friend of the late Chief Justice Waite of Connecticut, 
whose son occupied the exalted position of chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United 
States. For his second wife he married Ellis Chappell, daughter of Ezekiel Chappell, who 
served through the whole of the Revolutionary war, and endured all the sufferings of that 
terrible winter at Valley Forge. Thus the sturdy English stock of the paternal side was 
supplemented by the revolutionar}- spirit of the maternal grandsire. 

In early youth Mr. Loomis improved the opportunity of acqitiring an education, afforded 
by five years' tuition in a private school where those branches of knowledge that were most 
likely to be of service to him in a business career were judiciou.sly and diligently taught. 
Thus prepared for the active duties of life, on attaining his majority, he immediately began 
the manufacture of woolen goods in his native town, and that with a vigor and wisdom 
that were rewarded by success from the very beginning. In 1847, the year before his 
removal to New London, Mr. Loomis was honored by an almost unanimous election to the 
lower branch of the legislature. 

Removing to New London in 1848, Mr. Loomis enlarged his sphere of operation, and 
for many years was prominently identified with the business and financial interests of that 
city. Subsequent to his leaving Lyme, he erected the woolen mills at Montville, and after- 
ward became the owner of the Rockwell mills at Norwich, and other factories in that town, 
now controlled by the firm of Sturtevant Brothers. He also constructed and managed for some 
time the steam woolen mill at New London, which factory was the first ever bitilt in the 
city for the production of textile fabrics, and of which he was the sole owner. The woolen 
mill at Coventry, Tolland County, was yet another, and the last of his creations in that 
special department in industrial art. In the marvelous development of the woolen manu- 



OF COXNECTTCUT, 1861-1894. 337 

factiire during- the three decades between 1840 and 1S70, Mr. Loomis was one of the prin- 
cipal factors. In 1840, the United States Census returned the amount of capital invested 
in that business as in excess of $15,000,000, employing 21,000 persons, and producing 
goods to the value of $20,696,000. In 1870, the census returned the number of woolen 
manrrfacturing establishments as 2,891 ; of hands employed, 93,108 ; of capital invested, $108, - 
998,000 ; and the value of the annual product at $177,963,000 — figures which reveal an 
amazing increase in the accumulated \-alues and industrial resources of the nation. 

Not content with these manifold enterprises, he next acquired the exclusive title to the 
the large steam cotton mills at Sag Harbor, N. Y. In the administration of all these 
undertakings Mr. Loomis was alone, and unassisted by any partner. During the civil war, 
his manufacturing was conducted on a more extensive scale than that of an)- other individual 
in the state. His emplo^-ees rose to the number of over one thousand, and his numer- 
ous establishments were running night and day, in the fulfilment of government contracts. 
Universal executive abilit}-, such as that which is needed in wise and thorough manipula- 
lation of a regiment in the field, is requisite to the successful conducting of so large a 
business. Some scores of West Point graduates, on retiring to civil life, have become manu- 
facturers, and in peaceful pursuits have brought all their trained and quick-witted energies 
into masterly exercise. ^Ir. Ivoomis himself, in early life, displayed a natural relish for 
military affairs, aird at the age of twenty-one was honored by election to the colonelcy of 
the Third Regiment of Connecticut militia. 

As a financier his abilities were no less conspicuous than as a manufacturer. Quick to 
perceive proffered advantages, and active in turning them to private and public account, he 
availed himself of the privileges conferred by the National Banking Act, soon after it was 
passed, and organized the First National Bank of New London, which was one of the first 
of its class, either in the state or in the country. He subscribed and owned nearly the 
whole of the capital stock, and directed its operations in person from the date of its organi- 
zation until its cessation from business in 1877. Investment rarely proved to be more lucrative 
than did that. Dividends for man}- j'ears averaged twelve per cent, in gold, and the surplus 
acciimulations more than equalled the capital. Throughout the rebellion against the United 
States, that bank was the government depository for Eastern Connecticut, and for a long 
time held average government deposits of over $4,000,000. It \vas also entrusted with the 
sale of government bonds, and floated over $20,000,000 of the several issues. Po.s.sessed of 
an ample fortune, obtained bj^ processes only beneficent to multitudes. Colonel Loomis retired 
from manufacturing business soon after the close of the war, and employed his energy and 
resources in stock speculations and railroad enterprises. Some of the former have been of 
colossal magnitude. The latter, particularly in the South and West, have been on a large 
scale, have tended to develop the capabilities of those sections of the land, and thus to 
enrich the inhabitants, while thej' have yielded rich pecuniary harvests to the daring cultivator. 

Politicall}-, Colonel Loomis began life as a Whig, and acted in concert with that party 
until it ceased to exist. When the rebellion broke out, he patriotically devoted himself 
to the support of the national cause, and lost neither heart nor hope in the darkest and 
dreariest hours of the sanguinary- struggle that ensued. The grit and tenacity of the old 
Cromwellians were manifest in his presidency of the war meeting held in the old court- 
house at New London, on the evening of the daj- when traitorous hands fired on the 
national flag at Fort Sumter. His liberality was equally apparent in his contribution to 
the fund for raising the first company of volunteers sent from that city. The spirit and 
genius of the Revolutionary fathers never shone more resplendently than in the offer of 
Colonel Loomis, in 1864, just before the carnage and horror of the Wilderness, to furnish 



338 REPRESENTATUE MEN 

and equip at his own expense one thousand men for one hundred days, in order to relieve 
the garrison at Fort Trumbull, that the regulars stationed there might be sent to the front. 
The noble offer was not accepted, but the genuine and glowing patriotism which dictated it 
at the supreme hour of the conflict, received appropriate acknowledgment from the President, 
in the following autograph letter, printed in Raymond's " Life, Public Services, and 
State Papers of Abraham Lincoln," and justly claiming insertion here : 

Executive Mansiox, Washington, Jlay 12, 1864. 

My Dear Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 28th April, 
in which you offer to replace the present garrison at Fort Trumbull with volunteers, which you propose to 
raise at your own expense. While it seems inexpedient at this time to accept this proposition, on account 
of the special duties devolving upon the garrison mentioned, I cannot pass unnoticed such a meritorious 
instance of individual patriotism. Permit me, for the government, to express my cordial thanks to you for 
this generous and public-spirited offer, which is worth}' of note among the many called forth in these times of 
national trial. I am, very trulj-, }-our obedient servant, 

F. B. LOOMIS, Esq. A. LINCOLN. 

Throughout the war, and until 1872, Colonel Loomis acted in harmony with the Repub- 
lican party, l)ut uniformh- declined all overtures to become a candidate for office. The 
Liberal Republican mo\-ement of that }-ear enlisted his heartiest S3'mpathy and cooperation, 
and he was nominated elector at large on the Greeley and Brown ticket. From that time he was 
politically identified with the Democracy. In 1872, he declined the unanimous nomination as 
candidate for senator for the Seventh Di.strict, and shortly after the congressional nomination 
of the Third Congressional District was also unanimously tendered, but he refused to accept. 
Of the St. Louis National Democratic Convention, which nominated Tilden and Hendricks 
for the chief offices in the gift of the American people, he was a delegate at large from 
his own state, and was elected chairman of the state delegation. He was also made a presi- 
dential elector at large on the Tilden and Hendricks ticket from his state. In November, 
1876, he was elected to office of lieutenant-governor on the Democratic ticket, and as pre- 
siding officer of the Senate, in the subsequent legislative session, discharged his duties with 
acceptability and skill, added to an impartial dignity that commanded the respectful atten- 
tion and grateful applause of political friends and opponents alike. At the close of the 
session, the last ever held in the old State House, the Hon. Senator Browne of the Eighth 
District, in delivering the farewell of the Senate to its presiding officer, spoke as follows : 

"Mr. President: I take great pleasure in presenting to you the resolution which has 
been nnanimou.sly adopted by this Senate in your absence. It is the spontaneous outburst 
from the heart of every member of this Senate. Further, Mr. President, it is with hesitation 
and doubt that I have consented, at the request of my brother senators, to express in some 
inefficient degree the feelings which animate us in the closing hours of the session. I may 
well say, it would have accorded better with my own feelings if it had fallen to some 
senator who could better express the sentiments of all of us upon such an occasion as this. 

" Piy the progress of time, which in 'its rapid pace delays for nothing human, we are 
brought to the closing hours of this session — a session which will be notable in the history 
of this commonwealth as the last session held in the old and time-honored capitol of the 
state. The distinction has fallen to you, sir, to preside over our deliberations ; and while 
you were placed in the position which you have so well graced, by the action of a partv, 
you have forgotten that you were a partisan, and have conducted 5-ourself as a statesman. 
As a member of the opposite part\-, and speaking for the members of that party as well as 
the whole Senate, I may say that no act of yours has been such that it could not be com- 
mended and approved by all. 



OF CONNECTICUT, iSSi-iSg^. 339 

" In }oiir official position, on every occasion, yon have treated all questions fairly and 
honorably, and in a manner to command the respect and approval of all. vStrange as it 
may seem, yet it is true, that during the two years that you have presided over this body, 
no appeal has been made from the rulings of the chair. In all personal relations, coming 
together strangers to each other as it were, we have come to love and esteem }ou, and no 
member of this Senate will sever the relations which have bound us together without feelings 
of pain and regret at the parting, which will extend far into the future ; but that pain will 
be softened by a pleasure in the new friendships which have been the growth and product 
of this session, which we seriously hope will only terminate with life. It brings feelings of 
sadness as we review the history of the session, to think of parting ; but we must not let 
its sadness oppress us. We must remember that life is like a picture : it has its sunshine 
and its shadow. Let irs not forget that we have for weeks walked together with \-ou in 
sunshine; in this parting hour we stand within the shadow. But as we part, whether in 
sufishine or in shadow, may God be with tis all." 

The senator then, on behalf of the Senate, presented Lieutenant-Governor Loomis with 
a large photograph of the old State House, with the picture of the twenty-one senators 
grouped around it, as a testimonial of friendship and esteem. 

Mr. Loomis was urgently requested to become a candidate for the lieutenant-go\-ernorship 
for a second term, and although positively declining the honor, he was chosen by acclama- 
tion in the convention, but he reftised to stand as the candidate. 

In the fall of 18S0, he was a prominent candidate for gubernatorial honors, and it was 

the belief of all the leading men in the part}- that his nomination would insure success to 

the Democratic ticket. His peculiar fitness for the position, in connection with his popularity 

among the masses, were some of the reasons why Mr. Loomis should have been the 

candidate of his party in the earnest and critical campaign of 1880. Whatever may have 

been his personal wishes in the matter, he after mature consideration prepared the following 

letter, which speaks for itself : 

New Lonoon, August 17, iSSo. 
Alexander Troup, Editor New Haven Union : 

My Dear Sir: Your valued paper has made such frequeut mentiou of my name in conection with the 
Democratic nomination for governor that I now ask the use of its columns to announce that, after a careful 
consideration of all the circumstances, I have decided to withdraw as a candidate for any position before the 
convention to-morrow. I am deep! %• sensible of the kindness and partiality which has induced leading organs 
of Democratic opinion, and hosts of friends in all parts of the state, both openly and privately to advocate my 
nomination. I am not unmindful of their wishes, nor insensible to the distinguished honor at such a time as 
this of leading the Democratic party to victory. But I am unwilling that an}' action of mine should produce 
embarrassment to the convention, or that the introduction of my name there should contribute, even in the 
slightest degree, to divided counsels. 

We are entering upon a campaign the importance of which, to the countrj- and the Democratic party, can 
hardly be overestimated. Peace, harmony, fraternal good-will; the burial forever of the passions and resent- 
ments of civil war ; the preser\'ation of the rights of the states, and of the proper powers b^' the Federal 
Government; the maintenance of the Constitution in the spirit of the men who made it; the prosperity and 
happiness of all in all parts of the land — these depend upon the success of the Democratic party and the 
election of its noble candidate. To this great end all private ambition should be sacrificed and all personal 
self-seeking and local claims subordinated. 

In this great contest Connecticut is claimed as a doubtful state. She is certain!)' a pivotal state ; and 
with harmonious counsels and wise nominations she is certainly Democratic. I hold it to be the duty of 
every Democrat to contribute to such a result by every means in his power and by any sacrifice at his command. 
In view of the consequences at stake, all differences should be adjusted, all jealousies put aside, all claims and 
preferences surrendered, and the convention be left at liberty to select such a candidate as will not only unite 
the great Democratic party, but also draw to its support that great body of conservative voters who are 
opposed to sectionalism and misrule. I have no doubt that the convention will, by the exercise of wisdom 
and harmony, come to such a result, and that its proceedings will place Connecticut in the list of that great 
majority of the states which are certain for Hancock and English. 

I am, with great respect, yours truly, 

FRANCIS B. LOOMIS. 



340 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

Thus we find liiiii putting aside self that he might perhaps the better secure the success 
of his part)', and one whom in honoring, the people would have honored themselves. 
Though retaining his interest in the political affairs of the state and nation, Mr. Loomis 
never afterward took an active part in any movement. 

Mr. Loomis was twice married ; first to Miss Ingham of Saybrook, by whom he had one 
daughter, who is now ]\Irs. George D. Whittlesey of New London. After her death he 
married Miss Beckwith of Kentucky, who survived him, and by whom he had three 
children. Two of them died in infancy, and the other is now Mrs. Charles W. Havemeyer 
of Hartford. 

Speaking of Mr. Loomis's death the New London Day said: "Though an especially 
active and energetic man in all the affairs of life in his earlier days, he was not known to 
the present generation. He amassed a fortune at one time a great one, and made it the 
instrument of much good in helping those who had a claim on his interest and many who 
had no special claim, and in extending a generous hospitality to his friends. To the 
younger men about him, whose ability he recognized, he was ever a warm friend and en- 
couraged them with advice and material aid." The editorial comment of the Nciv London 
Telegraph was, " Francis B. Loomis, who died yesterday morning, was a familiar figure in 
New London, where his death is greatly regretted by men of both parties. ls\x. Loomis 
was a Democrat of the good old fashioned kind. He had been a prominent man here for 
half a century. He was a quiet and exceedingly unostentatious man, who loved to live in 
a simple and unassuming manner. He possessed a fund of varied information with regard 
to the affairs of state and country, and had an extensive acquaintance with leading men in 
both parties. Though not a great speaker, it was everywhere conceded he was a man of 
individual thought and unquestioned ability." 




IITCHELL, CHARLES E., long a resident at New Britain, widely known in 
the United States as an authority on patent law, and late United States com- 
missioner of patents at Washington, was born in Bristol, Conn., on May ii, 1837. 
Mr. Mitchell's great-grandfather was William Mitchell, who was born in 
Scotland in 1748 and came to this country, a young man, before the Revolu- 
tionary War. He settled in the town of Bristol, and during the war fought on the side of 
the colonies. William Mitchell had a large family of sons who were all men of character and 
prominence. Among them was S. Augustus Mitchell, the geographer, and George Mitchell 
wdio served in the Connecticut Senate and several sessions in the lower house. George ^Mitchell 
was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. His parents were George Henry and Lurene 
Mitchell, both natives of Connecticut, the latter being a daughter of Ira Hooker of Plainville, 
Conn. On his mother's side, Mr. Mitchell's ancestry included Thomas Hooker of the Con- 
necticut colony, and Capt. Thomas Willett, the first mayor of New York after it came under 
English control. 

Mr. JMitchell was prepared for college at the well-known Williston Seminary at East- 
liampton, Mass., and, in 1858, entered Brown University where he was graduated in 1861. 
After a course of stud\- in the Albany Law School, he received the degree of bachelor of laws 
in 1864, and returning to his native place entered upon the practice of his profession. A 
diligent student, careful in his methods and wise in his counsels, the young lawyer made 
rapid headway and in a few years was not only prosperous, but also prominent. In 1S70, 



.-\^^ 



¥ 






', /^^Z^^-^^^^^^J) 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1S94. 341 

when New Britain sought incorporation as a city, Mr. IMitchell and his partner, ]\Ir. F. L. 
Hungerford, drew up the charter. One of the first appointments made under the new municipal 
government was that of Mr. Mitchell as cit\- attorney, and in this capacity he supervised the 
preparation of the code of by-laws for the city government. Mr. Mitchell was elected to repre- 
sent New Britain in the state legislature in 1880, and was reelected in 1881. His ability as a 
lawyer was of great service in the House of Representatives, where during his first term he 
was chairman of the committee on incorporations, and during his second term a member of 
the judiciar}- committee. An important work performed by him during the session of 1880 
was that of redrafting the corporation laws of the state, in which labor he was ably assisted 
by the Hon. John R. Buck, who was Senate chairman of the committee on incorporations. 
As a member of the legislative commission, appointed to consider and report upon the necessity 
for a new state normal school building, he made a thorough investigation, and through his 
strong affirmative efforts influenced the passage of the bill providing for its erection, togetiier 
with the requisite appropriation. 

Quite early in his professional career, Mr. Mitchell had his attention drawn to patent 
cases, and, becoming interested, has since made patent law a study and a specialty, and 
ranks now among the first patent lawyers in the country. His practice being principally in 
the United States Courts, he has won a national reputation. In 1889, President Harrison 
appointed him United States commissioner of patents, and, when he accepted the office, it 
was generally conceded in the legal profession that his long study of, and practical familiarity 
with, this department of law, qualified him in no ordinary- degree for this highly responsible 
position. 

While at Washington, Commissioner Mitchell instituted several important reforms in the 
administration of the patent office, with the immediate result of greatly improving the service. 
He resigned his commissionership on July i, 1891, owing to the demands made upon him by 
his private practice, which demanded his whole attention. 

The nature of his specialty and his official position have been instrumental in brino-ino- 
him into business relations with lawyers in all parts of the country, and few in his profession 
are more widely known or more highly respected for solid attainment, purity of character and 
unfailing courtesy. Mr. Mitchell's seivices as an advocate have been sought in connection 
with almost every branch of the industrial arts protected by letters patent, the " Tucker 
bronze" cases and " Rogers trade-mark" cases, and many of the Edison lamp cases being 
instances exhibiting the variety and importance of his litigation. He is at present established 
in New York Cit\-, retaining however his Connecticut office and business connections. 

In a report to the National Civil Service Reform League on the condition of the patent 
office occurs the following paragraph regarding Mr. IMitchell's appointment, character and 
work ; and its complimentary strain was well deserved : 

The appointment of the present commissioner by President Harrison was made in pursuance of sound 
business principles. There were several candidates for appointment, .some of them retired congressmen, and 
many of them with strong political backing ; but the President resisted this influence, and declared that, if 
the patent bar would unite in a recommendation, he would appoint the man they recommended. The present 
commissioner, Mr. Charles E. Mitchell, was suggested. He was a patent lawyer of extensive experience and 
of recognized standing, with a large income from his profession ; and his acceptance of the office involved 
considerable pecuniary sacrifice. As soon as it was ascertained that he would accept, the leading patent lawvers 
of the country endeavored to secure his appointment. He had their almost unanimous support as thoroughly 
well qualified for the position. This commissioner seems to be independent of political influences, and has 
inaugurated valuable reforms. • • • Your committee are glad to report from information in their posses- 
sion, derived, as they believe, from trustworthy and non-political sources, that there has been a decided 
improvement in the efficiency of the office since the appointment of the present commissioner. 



44 



342 



REPRESENTA Til E MEX 



In tlie affairs of the cit\- in which he long resided he takes a deep interest, and his efforts 
to ad\ance the welfare of his fellow-citizens have been persistent from the day he took his 
place among them. He took a very active and leading part in securing for the YcJiing Men's 
Christian Association in New Britain, of which he was president for several 3'ears, the large 
and commodious structure which it now occupies ; and in various ways has been of service to 
this and other local organizations of worth and character. Learned in the law, of sterling 
integrit\- of character, and actuated only by worthy motives in whatever he undertakes or 
endorses, he holds an enviable position both as a lawyer and a man. In private life, as in 
public, he is held in great esteem and has hosts of warm, personal friends. 

Mr. Mitchell was married, in 1866, to Miss Cornelia A. Chamberlain, a native of New 
Britain, Conn., a ladv in e\-erv wav worthv of her husband. Thev have three children. 




|UBB.\RD, ROBERT, M. D., of Bridgeport, late assistant medical director and 
'/\ acting medical director United States volunteers, and, in 1879, president of the 



21 Connecticut Medical Society, was born in Upper Middletown, now the town of 
Cromwell, ^Middlesex County, Conn., on April 27, 1826. 

He is a member of the old Connecticut family of Hubbard — branches of 
which are now to be found in many parts of the Union — which traces its descent from 
English ancestoi's of the name who were among the early settlers of New England, arri\-ing 
about the ^•ear 1660, and who, before the close of the century, had become prominent 
members of the Connecticut colony. His father, the late Jeremiah Hubbard, was a nati\-e 
of Upper ]\Iiddletown, now Cromwell, and during many years of his life followed the sea in 
the West Indian trade which, in his time, was extensively carried on from Middletown. A 
man of simple habits, intelligent, brave, honest, hard-working and God-fearing, he was a 
sturd\- specimen of the old-time " Yankee salt," of the type which made the American navy 
and merchant marine famous during the first quarter of the present century. Although 
frequently at sea and the mate of the vessel in which he sailed, he was equally at home on 
land, being likewise a farmer and the owner of a respectablj- sized although not over- 
productive farm in ^Middlesex County. His wife, born Elizabeth Roberts, was a native of 
jNIiddletown and the daughter of Wickham Roberts, a prosperous farmer of that place, whose 
lands included in part the beautiful site now occupied by the Connecticut Hospital for the 
Insane. Jeremiah and Elizabeth Hubbard were the parents of eight sons and two daughters. 
Robert, the subject of this sketch, was the eldest of this large family, the care of 
which ultimately compelled his father to abandon his sea-faring life and settle down upon 
the home farm. In the labor on this farm the boy began to take a hand at a ver>' early 
age, and in his later youth he shared about equally with his father the various tasks. Such 
education as he obtained during the.se years was of the elementary kind afforded by the 
district schools of that period. These he attended somewhat regularly until well grown, 
when his agricultural tasks were increased and he was able to devote the winter months 
only to mental cultivation. He left school when seventeen years old. At this age he was 
a sturdy youth, sensible and practical, able to read and write correctly, and well up in 
"figuring," having during his last year at school "ciphered through Smith's arithmetic in- 
dependenth- of his researches in that text-book in the course of his regular studies." At 
the time he left school he possessed a genuine thirst for knowledge, and although there was 
no apparent probability of his having an immediate opportunity to gratify it, he cherished 



OF COXXECTICUT, 1861-1894. 343 

the hope of being al:)le to do so at a later period. On two wnninds lie shrank from asking 
his time of his father ; first, because he was as serviceable to him as a hired mftn conld be ; 
and second, becanse he felt it wonld be nnjnst to ask any aid or privilege which his 
brothers mnst necessarily be denied. Bnt his desire to tread the paths leading to higher 
knowledge wonld not be stifled and was finally gratified throngh the kind offers of two of 
his family friends — a Mrs. Gridley of Cromwell, and Mr. afterward Rev. Jared O. Knapp ; 
the first agreeing to give him his board and lodging in compensation for certain services 
upon her place ; and the last, to give him his tnition in return for his care of the school- 
room of the academy of which he was principal. The boy's good mother, proud of the 
ambition of her first-born, added her own entreaties to his and the desired freedom was at 
length obtained. 

In the beginning young Hubbard's intention was merely to emancipate himself from the 
monotonous drudgery- of farming, which he clearh- perceived could ne\-er be made to give 
an adequate return for the devoted labors of a life time, even granted that it permitted the 
time for the gratification of his growing taste for reading and study — which it did not ; 
but he had as yet no greater ambition than to enter upon a business career and his studies 
were pursued with this end in view. At the academy, which he now entered, he found 
many pupils of both sexes who were considerably his junior in years much further advanced 
than he was, but he applied himself diligently to every branch taught and soon placed 
himsejf on an equal footing with them. When the spring session terminated, having 
finished Da}-'s algebra, acquired some knowledge of chemistry and gained a fair foundation 
in the studv of Latin, he resoh'ed to make an effort to obtain a collegiate education. The 
remaining two years were given over to working and stud\ing to attain this object. A 
season's farm labor brought him in fifty dollars in cash besides his board and lodging, and 
other occasional employments added slightly to the means at his command ; but hard work 
and long hours interfered with study and it was not until 1846 that he had finished his 
preparatorj- course. In that year he passed the regular examinations at Yale College and 
became a member of the class of 1850. In the face of all the adverse circumstances at- 
tending his attempt, his success in this respect merits high compliment, for he accomplished 
in three years, during half of which he had to perform hard manual labor, what frequently, 
under favoring conditions, occupies double the time. With no incident of special note, 
save that of getting into debt, he passed through the freshman year at college. 

At its close he was offered the principalship of the academy in the village of Durham, 
Conn. Having the intention of returning to college and completing the course he accepted 
this position, hoping thereby to earn sufficient to carry out his design. But a ■s-ear later he 
was induced by a medical friend — Dr. Benjamin F. Fowler of Durham, to undertake the 
study of medicine. He came to this new task with what may be called a fine preparation 
for it. He was in reality a well educated young man, and possessed a mental strength 
which had gained rather than lost by his varied struggles and experiences. From the first 
he found the prescribed reading in medicine most interesting and he made rapid headway. 
When the second year of his term as principal expired he resigned that position and entered 
Dr. Fowler's office as a student, remaining there a twelvemonth. He then placed himself 
under the tuition of Dr. Nathan B. Ives, an eminent practitioner of New Haven, becoming 
a member of his family as it were, although paying for his board and instruction bv 
rendering such assistance to the doctor as was required. He remained with Dr. ,I\es two 
years, during which he regularly attended the medical school of Yale College. In 1851, he 
was gradiuated at this institution with the degree of Doctor of [Medicine and had the 
additional honor of being the valedictorian of his class. In February, of the same year, he 



344 REPRESENTATIl'R MEN 

removed to Bridgeport, arriving in what was destined to be his futnre home, with twenty- 
five dollars of borrowed money in his pocket, and an indebtedness of two thonsand dollars 
which he had incurred in getting his education. 

To his way of thinking, however, the worst had now been passed, and he entered upon 
his professional career with a courageous heart and high aims. Beginning in a modest way, 
boarding at the city hotel, and having his office in a drug store in Wall street, he kept his 
expenses within reasonable limits and from the start was self-supporting. B\- degrees his 
practice enlarged, and, as he was both conscientious and polite, he made friends rapidly, 
and very soon was in the receipt of a handsome income. In May, 1854, he formed a co-part- 
nership with Dr. David H. Nash, a graduate of the medical institute, Yale College, which 
continued seventeen years, and was as successful and profitable as it was agreeable. In 
186 1, when the War of the Rebellion broke out, he was a practitioner of such high stand- 
ing that upon the recommendation of the State Medical Society, of which he was an honored 
member, he was appointed by Governor Buckingham on the board of medical examiners 
(eight in number), to investigate the qualifications, and to pass upon all applicants for 
the positions of surgeon and assistant surgeon in the regiments then being raised by 
Connecticut. 

In 1862, he himself took the field as surgeon (with the rank of major) of the Se\-en- 
teenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. A few months later he was promoted to 
a brigade surgeoncy in General Sigel's corps, and shortly before the battle of Chancellqjsville 
was again promoted to the rank of surgeon of division in General Devin's command. In 
recognition of his meritorious ser\'ices on the field on the day of that battle he was raised 
to the rank of medical inspector (assistant medical director) and assigned as such to the staff 
of General Howard. At the battle of Gettysburg, he sen-ed as medical director in charge 
of the Eleventh Corps ; and when, at a later date this same corps was ordered to Lookout 
Mountain he was again assigned to serve as its medical director and also as staff-surgeon to 
General Hooker. He participated in the battles af Lookout Mountain, :\Iissionar\- Ridge 
and Ringgold, and was conspicuous for his devotion to the wounded upon those bloody fields. 
Arduous campaigning, and the intense mental strain consequent upon his heavy responsibili- 
ties as a high medical officer, finally impaired his health to such an extent that he was com- 
pelled to leave the field. Resigning from the army he returned to Bridgeport, and after a 
brief period of rest, resumed private practice, to which he still gives his earnest attention. 

In the hope of obtaining relief from a severe attack of sciatica, which probably had its 
origin in the field, Dr. Hubbard went to Europe and spent considerable time in Germany. 
While abroad he made many interesting studies, visited a number of the principal hospi- 
tals and other medical institutions, and formed the acquaintance of some of the most 
distinguished foreign medical men. A second trip to Europe was made in 1883, and a 
third in 1885. In the public affairs of Bridgeport Dr. Hubbard had taken a lively and 
intelligent interest from his first settlement in the town. Being recognized as a progressive, 
high-minded citizen, who had the interests of the place at heart, he was elected in 1874, 
to represent it in the state legislature. His services in the Connecticut House of Repre- 
sentatives were marked by a conscientious discharge of duty to the people of the state at 
large, as well as to his constituents. In 1S75, he was nominated for Congress by the Repub- 
licans of the fourth congressional district of Connecticut, his opponent being the Hon. W. 
H. Barnum. Although his party was in the minority in the district, he received a very 
general support, and, notwithstanding his defeat, gained rather than lost in personal popu- 
larity. In 1876, he was again elected to represent Bridgeport in the state legislature. The 
following year he was renominated for Congress, his opponent being Levi Warner, who was 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 345 

elected by a small majority. Pressed in 1879, to take for the third time the congressional 
nomination in his district he refused to do so, although the subsequent victory of the Repub- 
licans at the polls was clearly foreseen. His reasons for this course were found in the 
exacting requirements of his professional labors, rather than in any disinclination to ser^-e 
the people, or to expose himself as his party's standard bearer to a third defeat. 

In the year last given, he had the honor of being chosen president of the Connecticut 
Medical Society. A practitioner of forty years' experience, as honorable as it has been 
brilliant and successful, Dr. Hubbard stands among the first physicians of his native state. 
He is a respected member of nearly all the leading medical societies, and has contributed 
several interesting and important papers and addresses to the literature of his profession. He is 
still in active practice, and has thousands of warm and appreciative friends in all parts of the 
state, not the least valued being his former comrades of the Union army, who remember with 
pride and gratitude his noble labors in their and his country's service during the Rebellion. 

Dr. Hubbard was married on April 25, 1855, to Miss Cornelia Boardman Hartwell, the 
youngest daughter of Sherman and Sophia Hartwell, honored residents of Bridgeport. Mrs. 
Hubbard died in 1871. The children of this marriage are: Sherman Hartwell Hubbard, 
graduate of Yale Law School, in large and successful practice in Bridgeport, with patent 
law as a specialty, married to ]\Iiss Comete Ludeling, eldest daughter of the Hon. John F. 
Lndeling, formerly ohief justice of the state of Louisiana ; Sophia Todd Everest, wife of 
Charles M. Everest, vice-president of the Vacuum Oil Company, Rochester, N. Y., and 
Cornelia E. Hubbard, Bridgeport. 



o 




,-^OO^nS, DWIGHT, late associate judge of the Supreme Court of Connecticut, 
and member of the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh Congresses of the United 
States, was born in the village of Columbia, Tolland County, Conn., July 27, 
182 1. The family of Loomis is of English origin, and the Connecticut branch 
of it dates back to the original settlement of the New England colonies. The 
father of Judge Loomis was Elam Loomis, also a native of Columbia. He married Miss Mary 
Pinneo, a native of Hanover, N. H., whose father, James Pinneo, was of French ancestry. 
The subject of this sketch, who is the only surviving issire of his parents, was educated 
primarily at the public schools in Columbia. After leaving there he attended, during several 
terms, the academies at Monson and Amherst in Massachusetts, where, under excellent 
instnictors, he finished his youthful education and qualified himself to undertake the instruc- 
tion of others. Returning to his native place he taught school for several years with marked 
success, being more than ordinarily endowed with the faculty of leading youth along the 
thorny paths of knowledge, and especially happy in holding the attention of his pupils, and 
in awakening in their natures that early thirst for knowledge so necessary to subsequent 
educational progress. Quite a number of those who had the advantage of his instruction 
during his brief period have lived to realize the high value of their young instructor's kindly, 
but none the less effective, methods of stimulating their zeal while at school. 

Dwight Loomis was one of those young men to whom a college education was not 
essential. He had within himself, as subsequent events amply proved, that earnestness of 
purpose and power of application which enabled him to acquire, unaided, the mental discipline 
which is said to be the chief result of a well-spent life ai college. Had the means of his 
parents permitted, he would have taken a collegiate course, but the expense, even in those 
days of simple living, was too large an item to be borne by any but the very well-to-do. By 



346 REPRESEXTATirE J/EX 

the time it was in his power to bear the necessary cost, it was time to decide upon his life 
work, and without hesitation he made choice of the Liw. There was no fancied pi-eference 
for the work of the legal profession in this decision, for the }oung man possessed man)- of the 
chief requisites for success at the bar, and was urged to the step not only by his personal 
inclinations brrt also by the advice of wiser heads. After completing his academic education, 
he had joined a literary and debating society in his native town and at its rostrum had developed 
great skill in discussion, and oratorical powers of no mean order. In the debates in which 
he participated he .showed a keenness of logic and a judicial fairness of mind which clearly 
indicated that he had a future at the bar, and possibly on the bench. In 1844, being then a 
well educated and uuusualh- promising young man of twenty-three \-ears of age, he went to 
Ellington and began the systematic study of la\\- in the office of the Hon. John H. Brockway, 
a leading lawyer and politician of Tolland County. vShortly afterward he entered the law 
school of Yale College, at New Haven, where he remained one year, when he was admitted 
to the bar in Tolland County in March, 1847. In the autunm following, he was taken into 
partnership by Mr. Brockway, and at once opened an office in the town of Rockville, being 
the first law^yer to establish himself at that place. Business came much more rapidly than is 
usuallv the case with \-oung lawyers, and he was soon blessed with a large practice in which' 
he had remarkable success. 

In 1851, he had become so popular that he was elected to the Geweral Assembly of the 
state, and during the single term he served in this body he earned en\iable distinction not 
only as a wise legislator Ijut also as a speaker and parliamentarian. ]\Ir. Loomis was in ardent 
sympathy with the movement which opposed the repeal of the Missouri compromise and the 
extension of slaverv into free territory, and was sent as a delegate from Connecticut to the 
National Convention held at Philadelphia in 1856, at which the Republican party was organized 
and John C. Fremont was placed in the field as its candidate for the presidency-. He took a 
ver}- active part in the presidential canvass following this convention, and won new laurels 
on the stump in his native state. In 1857, he was elected to the state Senate as representative 
of the 2 1st senatorial district. Here he had the rare distinction of being appointed, during his 
first term, to the chairmanship of the judiciary committee, a position eloquently and truly 
described by an eminent contemporar}-, as one "of the highest honor and responsibility, 
reserved for those only whose legal attainments, efficiency and personal worth befit them for 
its administration." Two years later he was the Republican candidate for the Thirty-sixth 
Congress in the first Congressional district, comprising the counties of Hartford and Tolland ; 
and although the district was considered a doubtful one by his party, and notwithstanding 
the fact that a disappointed aspirant for the nomination took the field as an independent 
candidate, Mr. Looniis was elected. At the close of his term he was re-nominated to represent 
the same district, and was reelected by a majority considerably in excess of that pre\-iously 
received. 

Mr. Loomis's congressional career covered the closing years of Buchanan's administration 
and the opening years of Lincoln's. No more stirring epoch has occurred in the history of 
the country than these four years, each day of which was fraught with momentous conse- 
quences to the Repuljlic. During this period the labors of the patriots in the national 
legislature were heavy with responsibility, and to their credit it must be recorded that they 
were unflinching in their devotion to dut}', and heroic in their defiance of treason and 
rebellion. ]Mr. Looniis bore his full share in introducing, advocating and supporting the 
patriotic measures rendered necessary by secession and armed rebellion. Apart from this he 
rendered valuable services as member and chairman of the committee on expenditures in the 
treasury department, and also as a member of the connnittee on agriculture and of the 





ay7yf<Ay 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 347 

committee on elections, the last named being one of the greatest importance. He was seldom 
absent during the sessions, and rarely missed a vote. He participated with earnestness in 
all the various important debates, and his voice was ever raised in favor ' ' of strengthening 
the resoiirces of the nation, and maintaining the integrity of the Union." Conscientious in 
his conduct, unfaltering in liis allegiance, and logical and manly in his utterances, he 
exerted a powerful influence upon national affairs, and his patriotism and ability were 
recognized and applauded both by his colleagues and his constituents, as well as by all loyal 
citizens. 

In 1864, his eminent legal attainments and high character were honored Ijy his election 
as judge of the Superior Court. At the close of the eight-year term, in 1872, he was 
reelected to the same position. In 1S75, he was elected associate justice of the Supreme 
Court of Connecticut, and served as such until June 3, 1891, when his term expired by 
limitation, according to the laws of the state. On the bench, as well as in the halls of the 
stiate and national legislatures, Judge Loomis has given nirbounded satisfaction. His career 
has been marked, from first to last, by a high sense of honor, unremitting industry, and 
talents of a superior order. His qualifications for public life were both brilliant and solid, 
some of them born in him, others the result of studious thought and careful cultivation. 
Acute analysis of character and ability have asserted that his mental and temperamental 
qualities admirably adapted him to the judicial office. Always patient and courteous, capable 
of exercising the greatest forbearance, gifted with a good memory, endowed with uncommon 
powers of analysis, as well as an acute perception, and possessing rare judgment and 
discrimination, he combined the higher qualities of the head with the noblest qualities of 
the heart ; and exercising both alike, has worn the ermine with becoming dignity, and has 
discharged his judicial functions in such a manner as to reflect the highest credit upon the 
office he filled and the character of the man who filled it. 

Judge Loomis was married on Nov. 26, 1848, to ^liss ^Iar\- E. Bill, daughter of Josiah 
B. Bill of Lebanon, Conn. This lady died June i, 1864. On May 20, 1866, he was 
married, secondly, to iliss Jennie E. Kendall, daughter of Hubbard Kendall of Beloit, 
Wis., who died ^larch 6, 1876. The only child of Judge Loomis is a daughter, Miss 
Jennie Grace Loomis, the issue of his second marriage. 




TEARXS, HENRY PUTNAM, A. M., ^.l. D., superinteudent of the Retreat for 
the Insane, Hartford, was born in Sutton, Mass., April 18, 1828. 

The name Stearns is found among the earliest annals of the Massachusetts 
Colony. Capt. John Stearns was one of the first settlers of Watertown in that 
state, and from him the family line comes down through his seventh son. 
Increase. The latter served two years and three months in the Revohitionary army, and 
his son, Increase, Jr., finished out the remaining nine months of a three N^ear's term. Asa, 
eighth child of Increase Stearns, Jr., married Polly Putnam of Sutton, Mass. She was a 
descendant in the sixth generation of John Putnam, who with his son, Nathaniel, settled 
in Salem, Mass., in 1634. Of their four children, Henry P. was the second. His parents 
were Asa and Polly (Putnam) Stearns, both of them being members of Massachusetts families, 
and endowed with all the characteristic qualities of the strong, thoughtful and energetic 
people who colonized the state at the outset of New England histon,-. 



348 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

After the usual preparatory education, young Stearns matriculated at Yale College, from 
which he honorably graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1853. Natural tastes and apti- 
tudes, together with the conviction that the largest individual usefulness could be best 
attained in the medical profession, next led him to attend lectures in the excellent medical 
schools associated with the Universities of Harvard and Yale, from the latter of which he 
received the degree of M. D. in 1S55. Desirous of enriching native culture by the best 
knowledge and most approved art of the Old World, he then crossed the Atlantic, and 
spent the two following years in diligent study at Edinburgh in connection with the cele- 
brated school of Scottish physicians and surgeons, which has added so many eminent 
names to the list of scientific practitioners of the healing art. Returning in 1857, Dr. 
Stearns first located at [Marlboro, Mass., and after practicing successfully there for the space 
of two years, he removed to Hartford, where he has since made his home. 

In .Vpril, 1861, when the call to arms was made, Dr. vStearns offered his services to 
the government, and was commissioned as surgeon of the First Regiment of Connecticut 
Volunteers, and at the expiration of their three months' term of service, he received the 
appointment of surgeon of the United States Volunteers. In this position he served until 
September, 1865, when he was honorably discharged with the brevet of lieutenant-colonel. 
Dr. Stearns's commission as surgeon bears the date of April 18, 1861, the day before the 
passage of the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment through Baltimore, making him the first com- 
missioned surgeon in Connecticut, and probably in the United States, of volunteer troops. He 
received his initiation into the realities of actual warfare at the first battle of Bull Run. 
After being commissioned surgeon of United States Volunteers he was ordered to the Depart- 
ment of the West, and assigned to the staff of Gen. U. S. Grant, with whom he remained 
during the winter of 1861-62, and until the army moved up the Tennessee River. In that 
campaign he was medical director of the right wing of the army under command of ]\Iajor- 
General ^IcClernand. At this time he was made medical director of the United States gen- 
eral hospitals, and as acting medical inspector, remained in the service until after the close 
of the war, being mustered out Sept. i, 1865, with the rank of brevet lieutenant-colonel. 
His army record is without a stain, and he filled all the trying responsibilities of surgeon 
in the field and as medical director in the hospitals with rare skill and unswerving fidelity, 
gaining a reputation for himself to which ever}' soldier who came under his charge will bear 
abundant testimony. 

When Dr. Stearns entered upon the responsible position of superintendent of the Retreat 
for the Insane at Hartford, he began what has proved to be his life work. For over 
thirty years he has now been engaged in the discharge of the duties of the office, and has 
gained a reputation for himself which is not confined to the United States. In February, 
1876, he delivered an address to the graduating class in the Medical Department of Yale 
College, which was afterwards published by the medical faculty. It reveals his intimate 
acquaintance with the histor\-, theories and practice of medicine, and illustrates his ability 
not only to describe them, but also to promote the further triumphs of the science and 
art whose achievements he so eloquently details. Naturally, he refers to the advance in 
the treatment of insanity during the last fifty years. "I would not," he says, "and 
hardly could if I would, exaggerate either the cruelties practiced by society in general, 
towards those afflicted b)' this most terrible of human maladies, or the utter lack of 
appreciation by our profession, of the true nature of the disease, before and during the 
first quarter of the present century. And that was true, not of any one country, but in 
all the fairest and most civilized countries of Europe. The chronic insane, when they were 
thought to be harmless, were permitted to wander about from village to village, the 



OF COSNECTTCUT, 1861-1894. 349 

object of the hootings, mockery and abuse of cruel boys and men. When the)' became 
excited or dangerous, they were chained up like wild beasts in barns or sheds built for this 
purpose, or thrown into dungeons, where they were scourged or beaten, till the evil spirit 
should be subdued. There the>- were kept month after month, neglected or forgotten, 
without sunlight, in the heats of summer and the frosts of winter, fed with the refu.se of 
tables if fed at all, till wasted to skeletons, and not unfrequently starved to death." 

After an exceedingly graphic and powerful description of the prisons erected throughout 
Europe for the detention of the insane, and the horrible treatment therein meted out to them. 
Dr. Stearns proceeds to contrast the accommodations and treatment now provided : "So that 
the countries of the whole civilized world seem to be vying with each other in the strife 
to make amends for past ignorance and cruelties, and secure better things for the future. 
The old idea that insanity was a disease of a spiritual nature, has faded away, and now we 
investigate it as a physical lesion ; we diagno.se by study- the symptoms and conditions of 
its different forms, and adapt our course of treatment, as we do in diseases affecting other 
organs or structures of the body. Nay, more, by as much as insanity is a disease most 
obscure in its beginnings, and difficult to be investigated, by so nuich more are we pushing 
researches, and putting forth efforts to unveil the mystery; and, by as much as it is the most 
fearful of all forms of disease, by so much are we endeavoring to alleviate its suffering.s, 
and surround its unhappy victims with every restorative measure likely to be of service. 
We build costly mansions surrounded h\ panoramic views of rivers, mountains, green fields 
and leafy woods. Airy courts, filled with trees, shrubs and the fragrance of flowers are open 
for their enjoyment at all hours of the day. Rooms with the cleanest walls and floors, and 
filled with the purest air and sunshine, adorned with cheerful pictures, and even luxury, 
have taken the place of dark, narrow and lonely cells. Kindness and sympathy have forever 
driven into darkness cruelty, chains and scourgings. We strive to allay fearful bodings, and 
to alleviate sufferings. We bring quiet and sweet repose to the weary and exhausted brain, 
and by soothing care and gentle steps, we try to lead back the mind disordered and wander- 
ing again to the bright visions of reason. More than fifty per cent, of the acute cases of 
insanity admitted to our hospitals now recover; and I boldly declare, without fear of chal- 
lenge, that if medical science had achieved nothing else for humanity during the past fifty 
years than to have wrought such a change in our views and treatment of insanity — a change 
so great that the disease is robbed of half its terrors — it would be entitled to honor and 
gratitude, till that time comes when diseased brains and mental suffering shall no more 
be known." 

The whole is worthy of a wide reading, but lack of space forbids a more extended quota- 
tion. Such an address is peculiarly stimulative of enthusiasm and application, and especially 
when its auditors remember "that advancement in all departments of science generally goes 
on by the grains contributed by the many, that the largest prizes come only rarely; that there 
has been but one Newton, one Franklin, one Jenner, and one Wells." 

In 1876, Dr. Stearns also published a very valuable series of "Statistics of Insanity 
Relative to Re-admissions to the Retreat." Some of the figures are quite startling. Another 
pamphlet, published by Dr. Stearns in 1877, discusses the question: "Are Boards of Lunacy 
Commissioners Expedient for American Asylums?" While he admits the excellence of the 
British system, for reasons growing out of the political constitution of the United States, he 
deems the adoption of a similar plan to be altogether impracticable for this country. Each 
of Dr. Stearns's annual reports contains a mass of information, statistics, etc., relative to his 
special field, which are simply invaluable to all students, and they are noted for practical 
suggestions, with which they are filled. He has also made contributions to the leading 
magazines of the day, and wherever published his opinions are held in the highest esteem. 
45 



350 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

Since 1876, Dr. vSteanis has been lectnrer on insanity in Yale University. He is a 
member of the Connecticnt State Medical Societ>-, the American Medical Association, the 
New England Ps)chological Society, the American Medico-Psychological Association (of 
which he has been president), the British ^ledico- Psychological Association, and of the 
Boston Medico-Psychological Society, and of other learned bodies. He holds the office of 
director in the Tra\eler's Insurance Company, the Hartford Trust Company, the Billings 
& Spencer Company, the Hartford Retreat, the Connecticut Humane Society, etc. Dr. 
Stearns is a nienilier of the Connecticut vState Medical Society, of the American Association 
for the Advancement of vScience, of the New England Psychological Society, and of sundry 
other scientific and literary organizations. 

His contributions to medical literature have mainly taken the form of pamphlets reprinted 
from medical journals. They deal with questions, some of which are as old as humanity 
itself, and reflect nmch light upon the occult causes of human suffering. Among the earliest 
of his publications was a paper on "Fracture of the Base of the Skull," in the American 
Journal of Medical Science for 1866. An essay on the "Use of Chloral Hydrate" appeared in 
the transactions of "Connecticut Medical Society for 1874." A critique on the discovery of 
modern "anaesthesia, followed in the ^Vi^zt- York Medical Record oi 1876. It was in answer to a 
paper by Dr. Henry J. Bigelow of Boston, claiming the honor for Dr. Morton of Boston. 
With admirable skill and con\-incing argument he established the truth of his position. In the 
long list special mention should be made of "Expert Testimony in the case of United vStates 
vs. Guiteau," 1882. (Reprinted from Government Report). "Insanity, Its Causes and 
Prevention," 260 pages, 1883. "A Case not Wholly Hypothetical,'" American Journal 
Insanity, October, 1889. "Some Notes on the Present State of Psychiatry," (Address as 
president of the American IMedico-Psychological Association, 1891), and "Lectures on Mental 
Diseases," 1892, a volume of over six hundred pages, which contained his ripest and best 
thoughts on the specialt}' of his life. 

Henry P. Stearns was married in 1857, to Annie Elizabeth Storie of Dumfries, Scotland. 
Their children are Henry Stuart, who graduated from Williams College, and later received 
the degree of LL. B., from Yale University, and is now a practicing lawyer in Boston, ]Mass.; 
Ellen Brodie, who died in infanc)-, and Charles Storie, who is now in business in Hartford. 




;HEELER, GEORGE WAKEMAN, of Bridgeport, associate judge of the 
Superior Court, was born in Woodville, Miss., Dec. i, i860. 

Stephen Wheeler of Easton, Conn., was a judge of the county court, and 
his son, Charles, was a man of some mark, who held various local offices, and 
represented his town in the state legislature. George W. Wheeler, son of 
Charles, after graduating at Amherst College, went to Woodville, Miss., in 1857, where he 
was the principal of a large school. Returning to the North in 1868, he settled in Hacken- 
sack, N. J., where he is now an honored judge of the court of common pleas. He married 
Lucy, daughter of Henry Dowie of Andes, N. Y., and the subject of this sketch is the older 
of their two children. 

The future judge graduated from the Hackensack Academy in 1S76, and from Williston 
Seminary a year later. Entering Yale in 1877, he graduated from the academic department 
in 1 88 1. Choosing the profession of law, Mr. Wheeler studied its principles with Garrett 
Ackerson, Jr., of Hackensack, and later took a course at the Yale Law School, from which 
he received his degree in 1883. He at once took up his residence in Bridgeport, where he 
has ever since made his home. Forming a partnership with Mr. Howard J. Curtis under the 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 351 

firm name of Wheeler & Curtis, they soon coimiienced to obtain their full share of the legal 
practice of the city. This connection lasted until 1893, when Mr. Curtis was elected judge 
of the court of common pleas, and ]Mr. Wheeler was appointed by Governor ^lorris, and 
confirmed bj" the legislature, as associate judge of the Superior Court. 

Mr. Wheeler was city attorne}' of Bridgeport from July, 1890, to the same month in 1892, 
but this was his only official position until his present one. ' His practice was general in its 
nature, and his fine reputation is built on no special branch of the law. While he was city 
attorney of Bridgeport, he had two notable cases placed under his charge, both of which were 
carried to the Supreme Court and were decided in his fa\-or. One was Somers 7.'s. City of 
Bridgeport, a police department case, and the other was Rylands ex rel. vs. Pinkerman. His 
first case before the Supreme Court was won in his twenty-eighth year, Davidson vs. Holden, 
and the decisions of two lower coirrts were reversed, making quite a triumph for the youthful 
lawyer. 

He is the youngest man who has been appointed to the bench of the Superior Court for 
jnany 3-ears, if not since the state was formed. Notwithstanding the fact that he has been in 
the world barely a third of a century. Judge Wheeler upholds the dignity of the judicial ermine 
as easih- as if his years had been doubled, and his course has met with favorable commendations 
from all parts of the state. At the close of the term at New Haven in the spring of 1894, the 
Register of that city said : 

Judge G. W. Wheeler, who has presided over the civil side of the Superior Court since the opening of 
the court last fall, will conclude his labors here for the present to-morrow. Judge Wheeler has gained many 
laurels during his stay in this district, not onl)- on account of his knowledge of the law but through his keen 
perception of human nature and his determination to accord every one justice in the true sense of the word. 

The legal profession speak in the very highest terms of Judge Wheeler, whom they hold to be the best 
upholder of the dignity of the court, the most absolute non-respecter of persons, and at the same time the 
most obliging judge who has graced the bench in this state iu a score of years. As one prominent lawyer 
expressed it this morning: "If appointing young men as judges would give us such men as O. W. Wheeler, 
I think I echo the sentiment of the bar of the state when I saj' that it would be the greatest blessing that 
the judiciary of the state has received." 

At the same time and on the same subject, the Evening Leader had the following 
paragraph : 

Yesterday Judge Geo. W. Wheeler finished holding court in New Haven, and left to begin his duties in 
another county. It is not an exaggeration to say that no judge of a Connecticut court ever presided more 
efficiently, more impartially, and to the greater satisfaction of the public, lawyers, clients, spectators, and all 
concerned, than Judge Wheeler. Always courteous, he is never forgetful of the dignity of his position, and he 
is always mindful of the rules of law and practice. Every lawyer is required to conduct his cases strictly 
according to the rules of practice and evidence, but when necessarj- to call special attention to a departure 
from what he considered the proper conduct of the case. Judge Wheeler's reminder was always expressed in a 
gentlemanly way, which at once gained him the respect of the practitioner. It is safe to say no judge ever 
presided over this court to the greater satisfaction of the best lawj'ers of New Haven County. 

Judge Wheeler never forgets to be a gentleman. No matter how vexatious the details of the case may 
be, no matter how wearied he is by long hours of service upon the bench, no matter how much in haste after 
adjournment of court, he is always ready to give audience to those desiring to address him. and he is always 
in the highest sense mindful of the feelings of those with whom he is associated. Probably no judge ever 
worked more hours during a term of court than Judge Wheeler has while presiding over the last term in this 
county, and certainly no judge ever retired at the end of the term with the more sincere regard and good 
wishes of all who have watched his conduct or made his acquaintance. He is an able lawyer and a good judge. 
He is a credit to the legal profession and to the laud of his nativity. 

Jvrdge Wheeler is a member of the Democratic party from strong con\iction, and takes 
naturally to all the exciting contests of political life. In all the campaigns since he became 
of age, and itp to the time of his appointment as judge, he had a liberal .share of work, and 
his opponents soon learned to respect his ability as a manager. He is a firm believer in the 
theor}' that the judiciary' should be kept out of the field of political strife, and he carefully 
practices what he believes. 



352 



REPRESEXTA Til 'E MEN 



SMI 



.«' 



|UI)BARD, RICHARD DUDLEY, of Hartford, ex-governor of Connecticut, was 
! ^^Hlhh ^\ born in Berlin, Sept. 7, 1818. He died Feb. 28, 1884. Aside from its 
illiterative qualities, 1818 was noted as being the year in which a long line 
if men ])roininent in various spheres of action first saw the light. 

From the earliest colonial davs the Hubbard familv has been identified 



with the history of the state, and few, if any, names appear more frequently and conspicu- 
onslv in its historical records. ]\Iany persons distingui.shed in legal, clerical and political 
pursuits, as well as in the military service of the United States, have borne this patronymic. 
Orthographicalh- it would seem to indicate descent from the old Norse stock, which, l)lended 
with the Saxon, has done .so nmch to spread Protestant civilization throughout the world. 

R. D. Hubbard was the son of Lemuel and Elizabeth (Dudley) Hid)bard. His father 
was a native of Berlin, but his mother came from Fayetteville, N. C. 

The vouth of the future governor was passed in East Hartford, and he was prepared 
for college at the famous Wright School. He matriculated at Yale College and graduated 
therefrom in the cla.ss of 1839, having just reached his majority. Being of an exceptionally 
self-reliant nature, he was constitutionally fitted to depend on his own resources. Choosing 
the profession of law as the one in which to gain a name for himself, he entered the ofhce 
of Hungerford & Cone at Hartford. Mr. Hubbard accustomed himself to close and com- 
prehensive stud)-, and soon acquired a general knowledge of common and stat\ite law, and 
b\- this means he became thoroughly qualified for the achievement of the widest success at 
the bar. 

Mr. Hubbard made his entrance into political life as a representative to the state 
legislature for the town of East Hartford, and received the compliment of a reelection the 
following year. He held the post of state's attorney for Hartford County from 1846 to 1868, 
inclusiN-e. Having transferred his residence to Hartford, in 1855, and again in 1858, he 
represented that city in the legislature. As a member of the judiciary committee and also 
chairman of the committee on the school fund, he wielded great power in moulding the 
legislation of the state. F'or its present high standard of efficiency, the excellent public 
school system of Connecticut is largely indebted to him for ser\-ice that was simply 
invaluable. 

During the war for the preservation of the .\merican Union Governor Hubbard's 
sympathies and sen-ices were patriotically extended to the federal government, and his zeal 
was shown in man)- practical w^ays. His interest took special shape in caring for the gallant 
soldier)- from Connecticut. He held that the military value of soldiers, other things being 
equal, is in proportion to their moral character. This view was .shared by Governors 
Buckingham and Douglass, by Rev. Dr. L- W. Bacon and other clergymen, as well as by 
such experienced commanders as Washington, Wellington and Napoleon. He cooperated 
liberally with Dr. Bacon in organizing and sustaining the chaplain's aid committee, whose 
object was to supph- all Connecticut regiments with chapel tents, circulating libraries and 
regular newspapers. They also assisted the chaplains in their labors for the improvement 
of tlie mental and moral welfare of the men. While it lasted this association was enabled 
to accomplish much good. The results certainly justified the remark of one of the 
beneficiaries, that "Connecticut is leading every other state, even the Old Bay State, in the 
aid she is furnishing her chaplains." 

The war in the interest of national \\\\\\.\ and free institutions ended in 1S65. Two 
years later, Mr. Hubl)ar(l was sent to the Fortieth Congress as the representative of the 
First District. Tlic work of the session was the reconstruction and consolidation of our 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-/8,^4. 353 

coininon country, and the de\isiiig of measures for protecting the equal rights and pri\-ileges 
and for fostering the welfare of all its citizens. He served as a member of the committee 
on claims and on expenditures in the post-office department, and was recognized as a careful 
and painstaking legislator. The second nomination was offered him at the close of his 
congressional term, but, from motives of preference for the legal profession, it was declined. 
Yielding to the importunities of many friends, Mr. Hubbard accepted the Democratic 
nomination for go\ernor in 1872, but his candidac\- was unsuccessful before the people. In 
1876, the office again sought and secured his acceptance, and in the following election he 
was triumphantl}- chosen to the gubernatorial chair. The " Sou\-enir of the Centennial " 
states that "Almost under protest he took part in the canvass by making a few speeches." 
As the first incumbent of the chief magistracy under the amended constitution of the state, 
which makes the term of governor biennial in duration, Governor Hubl:)ard held office for 
two years. 

A biographical sketch of him gives the following succinct statement of his mental quali- 
fications : "His reputation as an orator is of a high order. Few surpass hiin in magnetism 
and attractiveness, have more ample command of language, or hold more closely the attention 
of auditors. His speeches in Congress received cordial commendation, and his addresses at 
home have been characterized by great acceptabilitv. His fame as a speaker rests chiefly 
upon his successful efforts in the courts of law. During his protracted ser\-ice as state's 
attorney for Hartford County, he was engaged in some litigations of extraordinary legal 
interest, in which he acquired wide reputation for cultured abilit\'. Thoroughly familiar with 
all legal principles, and quick to adduce all pertinent precedents and authorities at pleasure, 
he also delights to plant himself on those eternal equities which underlie all just legal enact- 
ments. Remarkable for the aptness of his diction, for the force and beauty of his illustrations, 
and for the sympathy which bursts from the heart in sympathy with its client, the triumphs 
live in the memories of legal contemporaries, many of whom regard him as the present leader 
of the state bar. His personal dignity of manner has sometimes, it is said, been mistaken 
for haughtiness, but those who know him best afifirm with truthfulness his steadfastness in 
friendship, his kindliness of soul, and his courtesy in intercourse with men. His opinions are 
the fruit of mature thought, his firmness in harmony with his convictions, and his integrity 
unquestioned by his wide-spread constituents." 

Richard D. Hubbard was married Dec. 2, 1845, to Mary Juliana, daughter of Dr. William 
H. Morgan of Hartford. Six children were born to them, of whom one son and three 
daughters are now living. He died at his home in Hartford, Feb. 28, 1884. 

His eminent qualities of mind and heart and the high esteem in which he was held 
by his fellow citizens caused many suggestions to be made in respect to a statue or .some 
other fitting public memorial of him. Nothing definite, however, toward this end was 
accomplished until after the death of George D. Sargeant in 1886. Mr. Sargeant was a 
resident of Hartford, a gentleman of ample means, of much culture, and a warm friend of 
Governor Hubbard. By his will he bequeathed to his executors, Alvan P. Hyde and John 
R. Redfield, E.squires, the sum of $5,000, to be by them u.sed, together with such additions 
as might be made thereto, in the erection of a suitable statue of Go\ernor Hubbard, either 
in the capitol building, on the capitol grounds, or on Bushnell Park, as might be deemed 
mo.st advisable. It was thought most fitting that the statue be placed on the capitol grounds, 
and at the Januar)- session, 1887, of the General As.sembly, a resolution was passed appoint- 
ing a commission consisting of the governor, the comptroller, and the Honorables Oliver 
Hoyt of Stamford, Jeremiah Halsey of Norwich, and Henry C. Robinson of Hartford, to 
select a suitable location for the same. These gentlemen decided upon the conspicuous site 
near the southeast corner of the grounds, a short distance from the capitol building, where 



354 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

the statue now stands. The executors invited competition for a bronze portrait statue, and 
the design submitted by Mr. Karl Gerhardt, the eminent sculptor, was accepted by them 
as being in all respects satisfactory, and the statue was erected in accordance therewith. 
The statue is of heroic size, a most admirable likeness of its subject, and represents him 
standing in a natural attitude, as though about to address the court or jury. The granite 
pedestal bears vipon a bronze tablet the simple inscription : 

RICHARD D. HUBBARD 

LAWYER 

ORATOR 

STATESMAN 

The statue was unveiled on June 9, 1890. On the afternoon of that day the governor 
and other state oiificers, the judges of the Supreme and Superior Courts and of the United 
States Court, the ex-governors of the state, and other distinguished citizens, assembled by 
invitation at the Allyn House, and were escorted by The First Company of Governor's Foot 
Guards and The Hubbard Escort to a platform which had been erected on the capitol 
grounds near the statue, where the dedicatory exercises were held. The members of the 
State Bar Association and of the Hartford County Bar, of which organizations Governor 
Hubbard was president at the time of his decease, attended the exercises in a body, and 
there was present a very large assemblage of the citizens of Hartford and of other parts of 
the state. 

From the memorial address of Judge William Hamersley, delivered on this occasion, 
a few paragraphs are quoted : 

To the study of the law Hubbard devoted his life. He quickly attained eminence, and was called upon 
to deal with the highest ranges of the profession, and thus came to the study of the social and political 
questions, that in the latter years of his life so gained by his discussion and advocacy. But through all he 
was the lawyer, recognizing in his profession the field of action that more than all others called for the high- 
est qualities of manhood, and gave opportunity for the most useful gifts to the present and the future. 

It is true that during his two years in Congress he was little more than a spectator ; for he was a 
member of the minority at an exceptional time, when the tyranny of the "standing rules" that manacled 
free deliberation deprived the minority of responsibility as well as rights. But as governor of this state he 
felt the responsibility of office, and had the opportunity to respond. The state will long have reason to 
remember gratefully the aid he gave in promoting, to use his own language, the " needed betterments in the 
system of laws which govern us ; in the prompt administration of justice between man and man ; the econo- 
mies of public expenditure; in the interests of popular education, the reformation of suffrage; in the regulation 
of corporate franchises; and in the protection of the savings of the poor against fraud and embezzlement." 

His whole nature was in revolt against the inequalities that come from privilege. All his personal 
ambitions, the acquirement of influence, power, wealth, centered in his passion for independence. The only 
privilege he coveted was the "glorious privilege of being independent." To the attainment of that end, as 
the prime ambition of life, he bent his energies. And so there grew up pervading his whole nature a not 
ignoble pride. It breathed no contempt, but was the champion of equality ; it was not based on selfishness 
or self-esteem ; it was a generous pride, for it freely scattered from the full horn the good gifts of fortune, 
and only kept under the lock and key of an impenetrable reserve its troubles and its cares. This was 
hardly pride in the current meaning of the word ; it was rather the tribute he paid to the master spirit 
of his life, the service by which he held his grant of independence. 

To the office which he held, as governor of this state, many men have come and gone — some without 
regret — some possibly with censure. He was one of those whose inauguration was greeted with rejoicing, 
whose retirement was accompanied with unfeigned and deep regret. This was not because of the manly 
fight he made to protect and promote the interests of the people, not because of his masterly state papers 
that have even now become admitted precedents and acknowledged authority ; it was mainly and chiefly 
because his logic, brilliancy, courage, truth, were pervaded by a personality that unconsciously, but most 
really, laid hold of the heart of the people. 

To this crowning power we owe this statue now given to the guardianship of the state. It is the gen. 
erous gift of one whose later years were passed in quiet retirement, wholly aside from the struggles and 
interests of the busy world, and who, as a looker-on, not only saw the brilliant gifts of the lawyer and the 
public man, but felt the fascination of his personal attraction, and so out of the fullness of his heart gave 
this memorial, not to the lawyer, the orator, the statesman, but to the man. 



OF CONNECTICUT, i86i-i8()4. 355 



p^^p^ORRANCE, DAVID, judge of the Supreme Court of Conuecticut, lieutenant- 
%^V'A i^^ colouel, U. S. V., and late secretary of state, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, 
r^^. ^^ on March 3, 1840. His father died in Scotland, and, after his death, his 
yf^ ^^ widow, with five children, including the subject of this sketch, came to 
America in 1849. 
The famih- settled in Norwich, Conn., where young Torrance attended the public schools, 
and also learned the trade of paper-making, working at this business until July, 1862, when 
he enlisted as a private in Company "A," of the Eighteenth Regiment of Connecticut 
Volunteers. A younger brother, James Torrance, enlisted in 1861, in the Third Regiment 
Conuecticut Volunteers for three months, and at the expiration of that period enlisted in 
the Thirteenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers for the term of three years. He was 
killed at Port Hudson in the year 1863. Soon after his enlistment the subject of this 
sketch was promoted to a sergeantcy in his company, and, on Dec. 22, 1863, he was 
commissioned captain of Company " A," Twenty-ninth Regiment of Connecticut Volun- 
teers — a command which was composed of colored men recruited in the state. With 
this regiment he remained in active service in the field, until October, 1865, when he 
was nnistered out with his command at Brownsville, Texas, having in the meantime 
been commissioned major of the regiment in July, 1864, and its lieutenant-colonel in the 
month of November following. While a member of the Eighteeenth Regiment he was 
taken prisoner by the rebel forces, and was confined for a time in the famous (or rather 
infamous) Libby prison, whence he was removed to Belle Isle, where, a little later, his 
exchange was effected. 

Upon his muster out of ser\-ice in 1865, he returned to Connecticut, and entered upon 
the study of law at Derby, in the office of Col. William B. Wooster, under whom he had 
ser\-ed in the army. He was admitted to the bar in 1868, and immediately thereafter 
formed a co-partnership for the practice of law with Colonel Wooster. This co-partnership 
continued until Colonel Torrance was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Connecticut 
in 1885. He was chosen to represent Derby in the lower branch of the state legislature, 
in 1871, and was reelected the following year. In 1878, he was nominated on the Repub- 
lican ticket for the office of the secretary of state of Connecticut, and, being elected, served 
in that office during the administration of Gov. Charles B. Andrews, the present chief 
justice of the state. In 1880, he was appointed judge of the New Haven County Court of 
Common Pleas, for the four years' term beginning in 1881. At the expiration of his term 
he was appointed a judge of the Superior Court by Gov. Henry B. Harrison, and in 1890, 
he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Errors, by Gov. Morgan G. Bulkeley. 
His term upon this bench will expire in 1898. Judge Torrance has been connected with 
the Grand Army of the Republic for many years, and is also a member of the Army and 
Navy Club of Connecticut. 

He was married in 1864, to Miss Annie France, daughter of James France of Norwich, 
who has borne him three children, two sons and a daughter. 




356 RE PRESENT. ITirE MEN 



[ARNER, SAMUEL LARKIN, of Middletowii, mayor of that city from June, 
1862, to 1866, and representative of the Second District of Connecticut, in the 
'l^f'j Tliirty-ninth United States Congress, was born in Wethersfield, Conn., 
June 14, 1828. He died Feb. 6, 1892. Both on the paternal and maternal 
sides he descends from ancestors who were among the first settlers of Ipswich 
and Boston, Mass., and his paternal ancestors were members of that group of families that 
founded Wethersfield. His father, Levi Warner, an enterprising and well-to-do citizen of 
Wethersfield, married Sarah Larkin, daughter of John Larkin, a respected resident of that 
town. The subject of this sketch was the third born of eight children. 

His father's means permitting, he received a good education, attending first the local 
common school and academy, and subsequently the Wilbraham Academ)-. Having finished 
his studies, he engaged in school teaching, and for four years followed that pursuit with 
gratifying success. Mr. Warner, early in life, decided to take irp the profession of law, and, 
about the time he became of age, began the systematic study of law under Judge William 
]\L Matson of Hartford. In addition to a thorough training in the ofhce of this gentleman, 
he had the ad\antages of a regular course of instruction at the Yale Law School, and of a 
two years' course at the Har\-ard Law School. He finished his legal studies at Boston, and 
in 1854, was admitted to the bar in that city. He then returned to Hartford, where he was 
well known, with the intention of beginning the practice of law. Through the influence of 
ex-Governor Seymour, who became interested in him while he was a student, he was 
brought to the notice of (iovernor Pond, then chief magistrate of the state, who made him 
his executive secretary. The duties and responsibilities of this position were greatly 
increased while Mr. Warner held it, by the serious illness of Governor Pond. Not infre- 
quently the young secretary was called upon to direct and decide upon matters of grave 
moment without having opportunity to consult his superior, thus practically exercising his 
functions to a considerable extent. Acting thoughtfully, rationally and modestly, he secured 
the respect of all with whom he came into official connection, and won the esteem of the 
executive, who on many occasions gratefully acknowledged his indebtedness to his clever 
young assistant. At the clo.se of Governor Pond's administration, Mr. Warner went to live 
at Portland, Conn., where he opened law offices. 

Unusually bright and alert in his profession, and well informed on public questions, he 
easily took a prominent position, and, in 1858, was chosen to represent the town of Portland 
in the state legislature. His experience at the state capital proved of great service to hinr, 
directlv and indirectlv, for besides largely increasing his knowledge of the law, it had given 
him a thorough insight into public affairs, and a wide acquaintance with public men. In 
actual practice he soon developed a remarkable degree of ability, and clients came to him 
from a wide extent of territory. In a few years he found it necessary to open an office at 
Middletown for the convenience of his clients in that section of the state, and thither he 
subsequeuth- removed. Carried by his large practice into all the courts of the state, he had 
frequently to do battle with some of the greatest lights of the legal profession, and although 
at first he lacked experience at the bar, he so completely made up for it by diligent stud}-, 
close observation and careful preparation of his cases, that he rarely failed to win his cause. 

His success as a lawyer gave him great local popularity, and, in 1862, he was elected 
mayor of Middletown. He assumed this office with well defined ideas regarding its duties 
and responsibilities. The water supply of the city being noticeably defective, he applied 
himself with great energy to the task of securing a new system and placing it on a firm basis. 
His brilliant success in this and other directions so strengthened his popularity that he was 




c 



'i'VnipiP.isn 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 357 

retained in office fonr years. While the Civil War was going on, he was distingnished in 
his state by the zeal with which he snstained the federal authorities. Appreciating his 
patriotic endea\ors, tlie Republicans of his district nominated him for Congress early in the 
struggle. His opponent was the late Ciovernor English, a man of ripe experience and great 
personal popularit)-, and, as the district was strongly Democratic, Mr. Warner was defeated. 
At the next Congressional election, INIr. Warner was again nominated by the Republicans. 
He was at this time at the zenith of his popidarity in the district, and was loyally supported 
b\' tnanv Democrats who cordially endorsed his views upon national issues. The result was 
his election liv a majorit\' of seventeen hundred votes. His term in Congress was marked by 
close attention to duty and by an enthusiastic support of the Republican administration. 
Although pressed to accept a re-nomination at the close of the term, he felt compelled to 
decline for private reasons of a business nature. 

Mr. Warner had the honor of a personal acquaintance with Abraham Lincoln, and warmly 
supported his re-nomination for the Presidency. He acted as one of the secretaries of the 
convention which placed him in the field for his .second term, and gave freely of his services 
to secure his reelection. When his chief was struck down by the hand of an assassin, Mr. 
Warner was chosen by the people of Middletown to deliver the address on the occasion of 
the Lincoln memorial services held in that town. Upon the death of President Garfield, a 
.similar honor was conferred upon him. As the unanimous choice of the committee having 
charge of the centennial celebration of Middletown, held on July 14, 1H.S4, he delivered the 
oration on that occasion. This, like all his public utterances, was carefully prepared and 
historicalh- accurate, and was widely complimented for its interesting information and eloquent 
language. ^Ir. Warner's labors after leaving Congress were principally in the line of his 
profession, and his standing at the bar in his native state was second to none. He had 
great strength as a cross-examiner, and in trials before a jury seldom failed of success. The 
records of the Supreme Court of Errors show his mastery of his cases in that forum. It is 
.said bv the judges of that court, that no brief or presentment of causes in their court show 
more or better preparation or conception of the case than did Mr. Warner's. The last 
case of prominence which he conducted was the Brainerd will case, which he fought hard 
and won after a long contest. 

An upright lawyer, a useful citizen and a capable public official, he achieved an enviable 
record, and is deservedh- held in high esteem not only in the city of which he was an honored 
resident, but in the state at large. 

Mr. Warner was married, in 1855, to Mary E., daughter of John Harris, Esq., of Norwich, 
Conn., by wiiom he had two sons, Harris, and Charles Winthrop. 




XGLLSH, J.\:MP:S EDWARD, of New Haven, who was successively member 
of both houses of the state legislature, go\ernor of the commonwealth, repre- 
.sentative in Congress, and United States .senator, was born in New Haven, 
March 13, 181 2. He died March 2, 1S90. 

Cxovernor English's ance.stors on both sides were residents of Connecticut 
long anterior to the war for national independence. He was always proud of his de.scent 
from good Puritan stock, rightly estimating the worth of ideas at the root of New England 
civilization — fervent religious zeal; the .sacrifice of ease and self-indulgence to lofty princi- 
ples, and the subordination of private life to the welfare of J:he state. He was descended 
from Clement English of Salem, Mass., whose son Benjamin married Sarah Hard in 1699, 

46 



358 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

and the following year moved to New Haven. Here was born a second Benjamin English, 
who, when the British army invaded the city, July 5, 1779, fell pierced b}- a ba\-onet. His 
son, also a Benjamin English, owned vessels engaged in the West India trade, and during 
the administration of Thomas Jefferson held a position in the custom house. Of his family 
of eleven children, James English, the father of the governor, was one. He married Nancy 
Griswold, a woman of fine, serious dignity, and gifted with a shrewd intelligence, who came 
from one of the best families in the state. 

After receiving a good common-school education, James E. Engli.sh, then in his six- 
teenth year, apprenticed himself to jMr. Atwater Treat of New Haven, to learn the trade of 
carpenter and joiner. His first work at this calling was upon the old Lancaster school-house 
in his native city, and was performed on June 27, 1827. Upon coming of age he attained 
the dignity of journeyman and at once entered upon a successful career. Within two years 
he had made almost three thousand dollars, and reasoning that he needed a larger field for 
the exercise of his talents than that afforded by his trade, he gave it up to engage in the 
lumber business, in which he remained twenty years. His next great enterprise was in the 
development of the clock industry. In partnership with Mr. Harmanus ]\I. Welch of New 
Haven, he bought the clock property of the Jerome Clock Company of that city, and 
organized the New Haven Clock Company, which under his able direction became in a 
few years one of the largest and most prosperous in the world. As his means increased 
he became connected with various other enterprises, manufacturing and commercial, some 
of them of great magnitude, and several being in other states. In 1855, Mr. English 
became identified with the Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Company of Naugatuck, in 
which he retained a large interest up to the time of his death — a connection covering a 
period of thirty-nine years, during twenty-nine of which he was president of the company. 
He also l)ecame a large stock-holder in the Adams Express Compan\-, the Plainville Manu- 
facturing Company, the Bristol Brass Company, and other enterprises. Investing largely in 
New Haven real estate, he did much toward improving and developing it. None of his 
wealth was gained by speculation, nor was he ever known to push his own interests at the 
expense of others. His remarkable business sagacity enabled him to accunmlate a large 
fortune, and for many years preceding his death he was the reputed possessor of several 
millions, and was rated as one of the richest men in Connecticut. 

For upwards of forty years Mr. English received elective honors at the hands of his 
fellow citizens, who held him in the highest esteem from his earliest manhood. When but 
twentv-four years of age he was chosen a member of the board of selectmen of the town of 
New Haven, and did his duty so well that he was retained in 'that position for several years. 
In 184S-49, he was a member of the board of common council of the city of New Haven. 
Chosen to represent New Haven in the legislature of 1855, he made such a good impression 
by his attention to public business that he was elected to the state Senate in the following 
year. While a member of the state Senate Mr. English obtained a charter and established 
the Connecticut Savings Bank, of which he was president from 1857 until the time of his 
death. Offered a renomination in 1857, he felt compelled to decline it, owing to the increas- 
ing importance of his pri\ate business, which demanded all the time at his disposal. In 
i860, he was a candidate for lieutenant-governor of the state on the Democratic ticket, but 
was defeated, the threatening condition of affairs in the Southern states adding greatly to the 
.strength of the Republican vote. 

While a true Democrat on national issues, Mr. English was opposed to the policy of 
secession, and sturdily adhered to the Union cause throughout the dark period covered by 
the war of the Rebellion. He was one of the staunchest supporters of the federal author- 



OF CONNECTICUT, /S61-/S94. 359 

ities, and gloried in being what was then called a "War Democrat." Elected to Congress 
in 1861, he sat in that body dnring almost the whole period of the Civil War, and bv his 
voice and vote on all occasions proved himself a patriot of the highest principles, one who 
regarded conntry as far superior to party, and who dared to act at all times as his honor 
and conscience dictated, regardless of personal consequences. During the four years that he 
was a member of Congress he served on the committee on naval affairs, where he rendered 
services of exceptional value to the country, and was also a member of the committee ou 
public lands. He supported all the war measures of the administration, but on questions of 
finance, internal policy and revenue reform, he remained a consistent Democrat, voting against 
the legal tender bill, and the national bank system. No Republican entertained a more 
profound hatred of slavery than did Mr. English, and he never concealed his detestation of 
this "monstrous injustice" from his colleagues or the public; in this differing considerably 
from some of the more timid members representing Northern constituencies and holding their 
seats as "War Democrats." One of the greatest acts of his life, in his own estimation, was 
his unflinching vote in favor of the emancipation of the slaves. His work in Congress, apart 
from the great issues of that momentous period, was attended to with the same fidelity as if 
it had been his private business. 

In 1866, he was a delegate from Connecticut to the national union con\-ention held at 
Philadelphia. The following year he was elected governor of Connecticut, succeeding William 
A.Buckingham, the famous "War Governor," whose faithful friend and supporter he had 
been throughout the crisis of the Civil War, although not of his party. The elections in 
Connecticut were held annually at that time, and Governor English was reelected executive 
of the state in 1868. In 1869, he was succeeded by the Hon. Marshall Jewell, one of the 
most distinguished and popular Republicans in the state, whom he defeated in 1870, in which 
year he served his third and last term as governor. 

Few go\ernors of Connectictit have been as popular as ]\Ir. English. All Connecticut 
was proud of the man, of his personal history, of his private traits and his public record. The 
position of an executive officer gave especial distinction to his most characteristic gifts, 
intellectual, official and social. His messages were models of terse and well chosen English; 
his few words were to the point; his manners were dignified, and distinguished by a fine 
courtesy. His presence on all occasions and in every sort of assemblage roused intense 
enthusiasm. His services to his state and his country were widely recognized. He always 
took the deepest interest in the cause of education, and his efforts so greatly promoted and 
developed the facilities offered by the public schools, that he has been called " the father 
of the free school system in Connecticut." 

After leaving the executive chair, Mr. English sought rest and recuperation in travel, 
and devoted the principal part of se\eral years to visiting different sections of the United 
States and a number of the foreign countries, being everywhere received with the consider- 
ation due to his long and prominent public service. In November, 1875, he was appointed 
by the governor of the state, a United States senator to fill the vacancy caused by the 
death of Senator Orris S. P^ern*-, and served as such until May, 1876, when he was suc- 
ceeded by the Hon. William H. Barnuni, who had been elected to the office by the legislature. 

In 1873, an effort had been made to enlarge the library of the Yale Law School, 
and Governor English gave $10,000 to the University to buy books, and increase the privi- 
leges and facilities of the law students, of whom his son, Henry, was one. He superin- 
tended the designs and execution of the Soldiers' monument, on the summit of East Rock, 
and successfully carried through all the business connected with the management of the 
enterprise. Naturally the erection of this beautiful memorial on so striking a site, turned 



360 REPRESENTATirE MEN 

the attention of the New Haven people to the importance of securing an easy approach 
to the heights which make so noble a background to the seaside city, and offer such 
advantages for a summer pleasure ground. One picturesque drive was provided by the 
city, another by Mr. Henry Farnam, and in 1S85, Governor English gave $23,000 to com- 
plete a third road, and it did much to set off the advantages which New Haven possesses. 
Mr. English married, Jan. 25, 1837, Miss Caroline Augusta Fowler of New Haven, who 
bore him three sons and a daughter, of whom the youngest, Henry F. English, alone surx-ives, 
and who has since his father's death managed the large estate. Mrs. English died Oct. 23, 
1874, aged sixty-two years. On Oct. 7, 1885, Mr. English married Miss Anna R. Morris 
of New York city, who survives him. She was the daughter of Lucius S. and Letitia C. 
Morris, and was the descendant of one of the oldest of New Haven families, the Morrises 
of Morris Cove. 




|ARRIS0N, LYNDE, a distinguished member of the New Haven bar, late 
speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives, and member of the state 
Senate, and sucessively judge of the City Court of New Haven, and of the 
Court of Common Pleas of New Haven County, was born in the city of New 
Haven, Conn., Dec. 15, 1837. 
Judge Harrison's ancestors on both sides may be traced back to the earliest settlers of 
New England. Among them were Henry Wolcott, one of the first settlers of Windsor, his 
son Henrv, who was one of the nineteen persons to whom King Charles H. granted the 
charter of Connecticut, and Gov. Roger Wolcott, colonial governor in 1754, who had 
commanded the Connecticut militia at the siege of Louisburg. Justice Simon Lynde of 
Boston, and his son, Judge Nathaniel L,ynde, who was one of the first settlers of Sa)-brook, 
the Rev. John Davenport, first pastor of the church in New Haven, Thomas Lord, one of 
the first .settlers of Hartford, Deputy-Gov. Francis Willoughby of Massachusetts, the Rev. 
Abram Pierson, first pastor of the church in Branford, and the Rev. John Hart, first pastor 
of the church at East Ciuilford, now ]\Iadison, were also among his ancestors. Thomas 
Harrison, who was born in England, one of the first settlers of Branford, and who represented 
that town in the Assembly at Hartford in 1676, was the first of his name in the colon)-, 
and the common ancestor of nearly all the Harrisons in Connecticut who resided there in 
the days before the Revolution. His parents, James and Charlotte Lynde Harrison, natives 
and life-long residents of New Haven, were people of standing and means, and being them- 
selves possessed of more than ordinary learning, they gave their children the best educational 
advantages. 

As a boy, the subject of this sketch, who was the eldest son, attended the Lancasterian 
and the Hopkins Grammar schools in New Haven, and, upon finishing his studies there, 
took a thorough course in the higher branches at Russell's Collegiate and Commercial Insti- 
tute, in the same city. His inclinations, even thus early, were for a professional career, 
and as he seemed to possess a natural taste for the study of law, he was encouraged by 
his parents to prepare himself for admission to the bar. After a brief period of preparatory 
reading, he entered Yale College Law School, where he pursued the full course of study, 
and was graduated in i860, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Being fully admitted to 
the bar, he entered upon the practice of law in New Haven in 1S63, and since then has 
maintained his law ofifice in his native city. During the sessions of 1 862-1 863, he served 
as clerk of the Connecticut House of Representatives, and, in 1864, was clerk of the state 



OF CONNECTICUT, JS61-1S94. 361 

Senate. In the discharge of the duties of both these positions, he exhibited remarkable 
intelligence and tact, his work showing a clearness of conception and thoroughness of 
execution which indicated that he possessed unusual readiness in grasping the details of 
public business. In 1865, the Republicans in his district nominated him for the state 
Senate, and he was elected to that body by a flattering vote. In the following year he was 
honored by a renomination, and was reelected bv a larger vote than he received at first. 
He distinguished himself in the Senate by his logical and earnest support of a number 
of the most important measures brought up for action during his two terms, one of the 
chief being that for the construction of the Shore Line Railroad bridge across the Con- 
necticut River, at Saybrook. 

At the close of his second term he withdrew from politics for a time, and, devoting him- 
self wholly to professional work, succeeded in a few years in building up quite a large practice, 
establishing a solid reputation as a lawer. In 1871, the state legislature chose him to the 
office of judge of the City Court of New Haven. He remained upon the bench of the 
City Court until 1874, when he resigned in order to enter the .state House of Representa- 
tives as a delegate of the town of Guilford, in which place he has had a summer home for 
more than twenty years. His residence there, upon the waters of the Sound, known as " Bav- 
hurst," is one of the most beautiful natural locations on the New England coa.st. He con- 
tinued to represent Guilford until the close of 1877, serving during the last term as speaker 
of the House. In July, 1877, he was chosen judge of the Court of Common Pleas of New 
Haven County, and at the expiration of the term, four years later, was again chosen to the 
state House of Representatives. He remained in the legislature until 1882, and during 
that time served as chairman of the judiciary committee, and was the acknowledged leader 
of his part}' on the floor of the House. 

For several years past he has devoted himself to his profession, and especially as counsel 
for several railroad and other corpoi'ations. Judge Harrison's political affiliations until rSgi 
were with the Republican party, the great principles of which he upheld with \-igor, 
ability and eloquence. He served for a number of years upon the Republican State Central 
Committee, was its chairman in 1875-76, and again from 1884 to 1886, and was also a 
delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1S76 and 1880. He did not agree with 
the high tariff principles which became the principal issues of the Republican party after 
1888, nor with the position of the Republicans of Connecticut upon several state issues in 
1891. Therefore, he voted in 1892 for Grover Cleveland, and the Democratic .state ticket, 
and joined the Democratic party. 

Possessed of a wide and varied knowledge of men, gleaned through long experience at 
the bar, on the bench and in the legislative chamber. Judge Harrison is a valuable addition 
to any deliberative body. In party councils, state as well as national, his e.xpressed 
opiniotis upon all public questions are received with the high respect to which the\- are 
entitled ; and in more than one crisis in affairs they have been followed with signal benefit. 
In the legislature, his influence has been equally potent, and its effects have been felt with 
excellent result in every part of the state. Well informed, earnest and conscientious, he 
never fails to impress his colleagues when he advocates a cause or a measure, and his 
opposition to a bill has generally proved a serious obstacle to its passage. A marked 
illustration of his power in swaying the opinions of his legislative associates was afforded 
during the session of 1877. A bill, granting to married women equal rights with men in 
the ownership and disposition of property (which had been defeated on three former 
occasions), was brought up in the House. Judge Harrison regarded it as a wise and just 
measure, and fearing that it would again fail, he quitted the speaker's chair, and going 
upon the floor advocated it with so much logic and eloquence, that it was passed. 



362 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

It is doubtful if there is a man in Connecticut who takes deeper interest in public 
questions, or who has exerted greater weight upon the fundamental law of the state. Of 
the twenty-seven amendments to the state constitution, at least eleven are due to his 
intelligent initiative and able support. He was the author of the amendment changing the 
time of the state elections from the spring to the fall ; of that forbidding the representation 
of new towns in the General Assembly, unless the new and parent town shall each have at 
least two thousand five hundred inhabitants ; of that pre\-enting any count\' or municipality 
from incurring debt in aid of any railway corporation, and from subscribing to the capital 
stock of such corporation ; and of that forbidding any extra compensation or increase of 
salary for any public officer to take effect during the term of an existing incumbent. He 
also drafted the biennial session amendment of 1884 ; the present state election law of 1S77, 
and the well-known "specific appropriation bill," by virtue of which specific estimates must 
be made for every appropriation, and through which many thousand dollars are annually 
saved to the state. 

Watchful at all times of the people's interests, he has on several occasions taken decided 
steps to thwart the projects of speculators, who have endeavored to profit by the ignorance 
or apathy of the public. His successful opposition as counsel for the New York, New Haven 
& Hartford Railroad Company, to the various schemes for building "straw" railways for 
speculative purposes throughout the state, is in itself sufficient to entitle him to public 
gratitude. Upright and honorable in all transactions, both public and private, an open foe 
to knavery, whatever its guise, and wholly indifferent to hostile criticism when serving the 
public weal. Judge Harrison is held in high respect even by his enemies. In pri\-ate life he 
is known as a man of scholarly attainments and warm social instincts; a true friend, and a 
sincere Christian. 

He was married on May 2, 1867, to Miss Sara Plant, daughter of Samuel O. Plant, an 
esteemed citizen of Branford. Mrs. Harrison died on March 10, 1879, leaving three children 
who are now living, William Lynde, Paul W^olcott, and Sara Gertrude Plant Harrison. On 
the 30th of September, 1886, he married Miss Harriet S. White of Waterbury, the only 
daughter of Luther C. White, a well known manufacturer of that city, and the\- ha\-e one 
daughter, Katharine White Harrison, born Aug. 3, 1892. 




|OBLE, WILLIA:\I henry, brevet brigadier-general U. S. V., late colonel of the 
Seventeenth Connecticut Volunteers, one of the oldest members of the Fair- 
field County bar, and prominently identified for more than half a century with 
the cit\- of Bridgeport, the charter of which he was instnimental in securing, 
was born at Newtown, Conn., Aug. 18, 1813. He died Jan. 19, 1894. 
Through both father and mother he traces his ancestry to the founders of New 
England. On the paternal side he is a descendant of Thomas Noble of Westfield, Mass., 
one of the earliest English settlers of that colony ; and also, in a later generation, from 
John Noble, the pioneer of New ;\Iilford, Conn. Seven generations of his family lie side by 
side in the old burial ground in the southern part of New Milford. On the maternal line he 
descends from the Sanfords of Newtown, who were among the pioneer settlers in Connecticut. 
His mother, whose maiden name was Charlotte Sanford, was a daughter of John Sanford, 
Esq., an influential citizen of Newtown, and it was upon the homestead of the latter that 
that General Noble was born. His father, the Rev. Birdsey Glover Noble, who died in 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S61-1894. 363 

1850, was educated at Yale College, graduating; iu the class of 1810, and after studying theology 
at the general seminary of the Episcopal church in New York city, was admitted to orders. 
At the time of his son's birth and for fifteen years thereafter he was rector of Christ church, 
INIiddletown. Later in life he established private academies at Bridgeport, and at Brooklyn, 
N. Y., over which he presided until his death. He was a man of piet)- and learning, and 
excited a wide-spread influence for good both as a clergyman and a teacher. 

The subject of this sketch was educated primarily at a celebrated military school in 
Middletown, the principal of which, Capt. Alden Partridge, an officer of the regular army, 
had been superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Under this 
accomplished officer and teacher he received, in addition to other instruction, a thorough 
military training, which made a permanent impression upon him, physically and mentally, and 
qualified him in after years for the high command to which he was called by the executive of 
his native state. One of his first essays under arms, made when he was but twelve years of 
age, w^as in the great parade held in New York city in 1826, to commemorate the semi- 
centennial of American Independence, on which occasion he marched, musket on shoulder, iu 
the ranks with his school-fellows. At the age of fifteen years he entered Trinity (then Wash- 
ington) College, Hartford, where he remained during the freshman year. He then entered the 
sophomore class at Yale College, where he finished the classical course, and was graduated with 
honors in 1832. After devoting a year or two to post graduate studies he accepted, in 1834, 
the position of teacher of the French and Spanish languages in his father's school at Bridge- 
port. Two years later he decided upon the law as a profession, and after a thorough course 
of study in the office and under the direction of the late Judge Joseph Wood of Bridgeport, an 
esteemed friend of his father, he was, in 1S36, admitted to the bar of Fairfield County, and 
began practice at Bridgeport. 

One of his earliest efforts of a public character was in connection with the movement to 
raise Bridgeport to the rank of a city, and he was instrumental in securing the charter which 
conferred mimicipal privileges. He was also instrumental in securing the charter for the 
Housatonic Railroad Company, and when this corporation was organized became its secretary, 
and held that office for many years. After serving several years as clerk of the courts of 
Fairfield Count}- he was, in 1846, appointed state's attorney for that county. Nominated for 
Congress b}- the Democrats in 1850, he carried Fairfield County by a heavy majority, .but 
failed of election owing to the great preponderance of the opposition vote in Litchfield County, 
which was then included in the same congressional district. For upwards of ten years he was 
actively engaged in local improvements at East Bridgeport, and believing that its interests 
and also tho.se of the city proper would be greatly advanced by closer union, he bore a consid- 
erable share of the expense of building and repairing all the bridges which connect the two 
places. Purchasing the old Bridgeport bridge, he rebuilt the entire structure at his own 
expense, making it more modern and commodious, and erected a covered footway across it, 
quite a novelt}- at that time. In 185 1, he built at his own expense, the first railroad foot- 
bridge between the two .sections. In 1852, in conjunction with the late P. T. Barnum, he 
dedicated Washington park to public use, and added one hundred acres of streets and building 
lots to Bridgeport. A year later he procured the charter of the Bridgeport Water Company, 
acting as attorney for Nathaniel Greene and his associates, who carried out the undertaking. 
The passage of the act incorporating the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company, under the charter 
of which the city of Bridgeport obtains its present water supply, was effected through his 
in.strumentality in 1857. In both these corporations he was named a commissioner, and as 
such sanctioned the issue of bonds by which the necessary capital was procured for their 
operations. 



364 REPRESENTATHE MEN 

In i860, General Noble gave his cordial support to the platform adopted b\- the Douglas 
branch of the Democratic party at the convention held in Charleston, April 23, and Baltimore, 
June 18. When the spii'it of secession manifested itself, he was among the most outspoken 
in its denunciation, and as a loyal supporter of the federal authorities he took an acti\e and 
distinguished part in organizing the Union party in his nati\e state. He labored earnestly in 
securing the election of Governor Buckingham and vigorously ad\ocated and supported the 
effective war measures inaugurated and successfully carried out under his administration. Not 
content with his civil labors, he resolved to enter the army for active work in the field, and 
was at once tendered the colonelcy of the Seventeenth Connecticut regiment b\- Governor 
Buckingham, which he accepted, receiving his commission Juh' 22, 1862. His recruiting 
operations were conducted with a degree of vigor and success which was truly remarkable, 
even for that patriotic epoch. Within thirty days from beginning his task he reported one 
thousand men ready for duty. His regiment was mustered into the service of the United 
vStates August 28, and left the state for the seat of war September 3 following. After doing 
duty for a few weeks at Fort IMarshall, defences of Baltimore, the regiment was sent to Fort 
Kearney, a defence of Washington, where it remained until November 5, when it was ordered 
to join Sigel's Ele\enth Corps at Gainesville, \'a. As a part of this force it served in the 
reserve .sent to support General Burnside at F^redericksburg. 

After General Hooker took command of the Army of the Potomac, Colonel Noble's 
regiment was in Howard's Eleventh corps, which, at the battle of Chaucellorsville, formed the 
extreme right wing of the Union line. In this battle the Seventeenth Connecticut gave a 
brilliant account of itself. Colonel Noble, while gallanth' leading his men into action, was 
severely wounded in two places and had his horse shot under him. Unhorsed, with his left 
leg torn and disabled by the fragment of a shell, and bleeding profusely from a wound in his 
left arm, the main artery of which had been severed by a rifle ball, it was almost a miracle 
that he escaped death. His life blood ebbing from his wounds he was carried fainting from 
the field. Fortunately the wounded artery became clogged, and to this circumstance he owed 
his preser\ation. As soon as he was able to use his injured limbs he returued to his post of 
duty and was in time to participate in the decisive conflict at Gettysburg, in which he had 
the honor to command the brigade which was advanced into the town to drive out the enemy's 
sharpshooters during the battles of July 2d and 3d, stationed at the foot of Cemetery Hill. 
.\fter the repulse of the army of Northern \'irginia, under Lee, Colonel Noble was ordered 
with his regiment to Folly and MoitIs Islands, S. C, sieges of Wagner and Sumter, and after 
the fall of Wagner and the battle of Olustee, to Florida, and upon his arrival there was again 
entrusted, by General Gordon, with the command of a brigade and given charge of the military 
district comprising the whole of the state east of the St. John's river, his headquarters being 
at St. Augustine. 

As acting brigadier-general he commanded brigades of troops in several important raids, 
and also on various expeditions under Generals Birney, Gordon, Hatch and others. On 
Christmas e\e, 1864, while crossing to St. Augustine from Jacksonxille, after attending a 
court-martial, he was taken prisoner by rebel guerillas, and notwithstanding that every effort 
was made to rescue him, he was carried off by his captors to Tallahassee. A brief term of 
imprisonment at Macon, Ga., followed, .and about the middle of February, 1865, he was sent 
to Andersonville and confined in the officer's quarters. He underwent, for two months, the 
horrors of this \ile den, and was finally released when the general exchange of prisoners was 
effected about the middle of April. 

Colonel Noble's able, faithful and heroic services attracted the attention of all his superior 
officers, and elicited their warmest commendation. General Grant personally recommended 




/i2 



^^/^^^^ri^y 




y^^^T^^i^^^^^^^^ 





OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 365 

him for promotion, and in Jnne, 1865, he was brevetted brigadier-general. Returning to his 
regiment after his release he continued with it until July 19, 1865, when he was mustered 
out of service with his command at Hilton Head, S. C. After that time he devoted himself 
to the duties of civil life, principally in the arena of legal effort, but giving his attention 
largely to matters of public moment and to the advancement of the city with which he was 
so long and prominently identified. There were few men in Connecticut who were more highly 
esteemed for their solid virtues than General Noble, and it is doubtful if even the city of 
Bridgeport numbered among its citizens a truer friend, a worthier patriot or a more honorable 
gentleman. General Noble's interest in his comrades of the Civil War epoch suffered no abate- 
ment with the lapse of years. He took an active part in the various works in which they 
engaged, charitable, historical and otherwise, and was a prime favorite with all who wore the 
"blue." As chairman of the executive committee of his regiment he received the fine 
monument erected at Gettysburg in honor and memory of the Connecticut soldiers who fell 
on that memorable battlefield, and in turn passed it over to the care of the Gettysburg 
Memorial Association. He afterward discharged the same duty at the dedication of the second 
moiuiment of his regiment at the north front of Gettysburg, Cemetery Hill. 

General Noble was married in 1839, to Miss Harriet Jones Brooks, daughter of Benjamin 
Brooks, Esq., of Bridgeport, a descendant of Colonial Governors William Bradford of Massa- 
chusetts, and Theophilus Eaton and William Leete of Connecticut. 




.^^OUNSBURY, PHINEAS CHAPMAN, governor of the state in 1887 and 1888, 
and for some years past president of the Merchants' Exchange National Bank 
in the city of New York, is a resident of the town of Ridgefield, where he 
was born on the tenth day of January, 1841. His parents were of sturdy New 
England stock and true representatives of the best type of New England life. 
His father was a farmer and is still living, a man venerable in years and greatly respected 
in the community where he resides. 

The subject of this sketch spent his early years upon the farm, one of the best of all 
schools for the development of health, good sense, and habits of industrv. He was not 
content with this, however, but devoted himself as opportunities offered to the acquirement 
of a thorough intellectual training. In the schools of his native state he signalized himself 
by his proficiency, particularly in mathematics, declamation and debate. He 'obtained also in 
addition to what is known as an English education some knowledge of the ancient classics. 
At the close of his academic life he entered upon his business career. He began to be 
widely known as a business man, with the formation of the firm of Lounsbury Brothers, 
the business of which firm, the manufacture of shoes, was first located in New Haven. 
This enterprise prospered greatly and was removed after a few years to South Norwalk, 
where under the style of Lounsbury, Matthewson & Co., the facilities were increased and the 
business largely extended. By energy and honorable dealing the firm won for itself a lead- 
ing place among the manufacturers of the state, and for its members, fortune and excellent 
reputation as broad-minded and progressive business men. Widely known and respected for 
his sound views on monetary affairs, Mr. Lounsbur}- had already sat for a number of years 
as a member of the board of directors of the Merchants' Exchange National Bank of the 
city of New York, when in 1885, he was unanimously elected its president. This institution, 
which was organized in 1829, with a capital of a million dollars, is one of great solidity, 

47 



366 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

and its presiding officer, who has shaped its policy and snccessfully directed its affairs for 
so many years, is accorded a distingnished place among the leading financiers of the metrop- 
olis. Although he has large interests in New York, he is still more largely interested in 
the mannfactnring industries of his native state where he has, from the outset, resided in 
the town where he was born. In 1862, he polled his first vote, casting it, as he has 
unvaryingly done ever since, in favor of the principles and candidates of the Republican 
party. He was among those who enlisted early at the breaking out of the war between the 
North and South. He served as a private soldier in the Seventeenth Regiment of Connecti- 
cut Volunteers. After several months at the front he was honorably discharged on account 
of serious illness. He was subsequently recommended for a pension. This just and pleasing 
recognition of his service he had however no need nor disposition to receive, and accordingly 
it was not accepted. 

In 1874, Mr. Lounsburj' was elected to represent his town of Ridgefield in the House 
of Representatives of the state. His attitude upon the temperance issue, as well as his 
staunch Republicanism had much to do with securing for him this honor. He entered this 
body with no thought of becoming one of the Republican leaders, but his special talents 
were quickly perceived by his party colleagues, and he was at once accorded the prominence 
he merited. His clear views and excellent business methods were highly serviceable in 
committee work, and on more than one occasion his eloquence on the floor of the House 
resulted in signal advantage to the measures he advocated. One of the services which mark 
this part of his history was in connection with the restriction of the sale of intoxicating 
liquors. He was one of the framers of the existing rigid local option laws of Connecti- 
cut. The reputation he acquired as a public speaker at this time also brought him into 
prominence, and he was called to exercise his ability in this direction in the service of 
his party during the state and presidential campaign which followed. In this respect he 
has rendered most effective service on many occasions. This was particularly the case 
during the Blaine campaign of 1884. He has also been called upon in several instances of 
historic note to act as orator. Among the more recent of these may be mentioned the 
dedication of the monument reared by Connecticut to her heroic dead on the battle-field 
of Gettysburg, and the famous Independence Day celebration at Woodstock in 1886. Of 
all the gifted speakers who took part in the latter celebration, "he it was," says a contem- 
porary writer, " whose words were carried away by the populace as fittest to be remembered." 

Naturallv thus he became one of the most popular men in the Republican ranks, and 
in 1882, he was brought forward as a candidate in the Republican State Convention for 
the office of go<-ernor. For party reasons, at his request, his name however was withdrawn, 
and the nomination was given to Hon. William H. Bulkeley, brother of Gov. ]\Iorgan G. 
Bulkeley. In 1884, Mr. Lounsbury's friends again brought his name forward, and although 
the nomination was given to Mr. Harrison, Mr. Lounsbury exhibited no surprise or dis- 
appointment, but worked loyally in support of the nominee. At the convention held at 
Hartford, in 1886, he was unanimously nominated for the office of governor on the first 
ballot. His manly conduct on previous occasions, and his untiring political services had 
greatly increased his following, and his nomination proved exceedingly popular and he was 
elected as the chief executive of the state of Connecticut. His term of office, which covered 
two years, was marked by a wise, patriotic and dignified administration of public affairs, 
wliich has placed his name high among those of the governors of that commonwealth. One 
of the abiding effects of his administration is the change that was wrought in the laws of 
Connecticut by what is known as " The Incorrigible Criminals Act." The peculiarity of 
this law at this point is that a ""person who has twice been convicted of an offense — 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 367 

the penalt\- of which is iuiprisonment for a term not less than two years — shall upon 
conviction for a similar offense be sentenced for the term of twenty-five years. Governor 
Lounsbury believed that the life sentence should be the one imposed in such cases. His 
ari^ument in the message in which he brought this subject to the attention of the legis- 
ture rested upon the fuudaniental idea that the state prison is primarily for the protection 
of society. His words are memorable and deserve to be quoted : 

I commend to your most earnest consideration the wise and timely suggestions which the prison directors 
make with reference to the criminal class. These suggestions will bring to you as a body, the question which 
no doubt has often come to you as individuals, what is the state prison for ? It was uot meant to be an insti- 
tution of reform, though of course the Christian idea of reform ruus all through its management. It was not 
meant to be even a place of punishment, except so far as the punisliment of crime tends to the promotion of 
law and order. Least of all was it meant to be a house of refuge, to which the habitual criminal could go until 
the people had forgotten their wrongs and their wrath, and it was safe for him to begin again his career of 
plunder and violence. The prison will be answering the full purpose of its existence when it gives permanent 
protection to all good citizens, by shutting up forever within its walls and behind its bolts and bars, the entire 
criminal class of the state. Is it protection when you unchain the mad dog and let him loose on the play- 
ground ? Is it protection when you open the door of the cage and let the tiger out into the crowded street ? 
Is it protection when j-ou open the gates of your prison, and out into the peaceful walks of society send forth 
the hardened criminal, whose brutal instincts have been intensified by confinement, and who has obeyed all the 
rules of prison life simply that he might the sooner begin again to rob atid murder? When you have answered 
these questions you will favorably consider the recommendation of your able board of directors, and will place 
upon our statute books a law not less stringent than that of the state of Ohio. Some future legislature will 
-wisely take a long step beyond this and will fix the life sentence as the penalty of every crime, the commission 
of which shall show that the man is already a confirmed criminal. 

Though upon theoretical grounds it was not thought best to formally impose the life 
sentence in such cases, yet what in most cases would be equivalent was provided for, and 
the Incorrigible Criminals Act was passed unanimously by the legislature. He was also 
largely influential as governor in the enactment of laws prohibiting the running of rail- 
road trains in the state between the hours of ten o'clock and three o'clock on Sundays. 
The object of this was to secure the necessary quiet for worship, and to afford a larger 
measure of weekly rest for the men employed upon railroads. Commendation for those 
who hold public positions seldom comes from their political opponents. But when Governor 
Lounsbury retired from office, the Hartford Times, the leading Democratic paper of the 
state contained the following : 

Governor Lounsbury retires from the executive office to-morrow, with a record alike creditable to him as 
a man and as an official. While our political preference did uot favor his election to the chief magistracy of 
the state, and while we had in the outset, some doubts as to the probable methods of his official course, we may 
frankly say at this time that we are satisfied that he has been one of the best governors Connecticut has ever 
had. We have found in Governor Lounsbury a gentleman of sterling integrity, of unfailing courtesy, gifted with 
excellent business tact, and inclined to administer the affairs of the state on business principles and with a 
view to economy and efficiency in every matter requiring his official consideration and action. Governor Louns- 
bury unquestionably retires from office with the respect and hearty good feeling of every one, irrespective of 
party, with whom he has been brought into official or personal relations. 

As a large employer in one of the principal manufacturing states of the Union, Governor 
Ivounsbury has made a close study of the labor question, and his views have had very gen- 
eral endorsement among those affected. Known to be humane and honorable in his deal- 
ings, he is to-day one of the most popular men in the state among the working men. 
Among the veteran soldiers he is likewise remembered as one who stood in their ranks in 
the great struggle to suppress the Rebellion and to preserve the Union. His intensely 
patriotic course upon all public questions has led to his being spoken of as "a second 
Buckingham." He is at present largely occupied with business. In addition to the position he 
holds as president of the Merchants' Exchange National Bank, he is a trustee of the 
American Bank Note Company, chairman of the e.xecutive committee of the Washingtou 



368 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

Trust Company, and actively connected with many other financial enterprises. This sketch 
wonld not be complete if it were not said that he is a man of strong religious convic- 
tions and feelings. He is a loyal adherent to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and one 
of the most influential of her laymen. In iS88, he served as a lay delegate in the General 
Conference of the church. He holds honored relations to the schools of this denomination, 
notably the Wesleyan University at Middletown, Conn., of which institution he has for 
many years been a trustee. In 1887, he recei\-ed the degree of Doctor of Laws from this 
University. Governor Lounsbury, as will be seen from the portrait which we give, is a 
man of striking appearance. Well built, rugged looking and combining agreeable manners 
with natural dignity, he is a fine specimen of American manhood, a citizen of whom his 
native state may be proud. 

He was married in 1867, to Miss Jennie Wright, daughter of ]\Ir. Neziali Wright, one 
of the founders of the American Bank Note Company. Mrs. Lounsbury is a lady of 
elegant culture and refinement, and fittingly graces a most hospitable home, and the large 
circle of friends in which she, with her husband, moves. 




fLLEN, JOHN, of Saybrook, Conn., was born in IMeriden, Feb. 6, 1815, and 
was the eldest of four children of Levi Allen, a farmer and prominent citizen 
of that town. His mother's maiden name was Electa Hall, and he is a lineal 
descendant of Roger Allen, who was one of the earliest English settlers of 
New Haven, a contemporan.- of Rev. John Davenport, and deacon in his 
church. His grandfathers, Archelais Allen and Aaron Hall, both of Wallingford, Conn., 
were patriots of the Revolution and soldiers in the war that achieved our national independ- 
ence. The former enli.sted at the time of the "Lexington alarm," and served under General 
Putnam; the latter enlisted May 20, 1777, at the age of si.xteen, in Capt. Stephen Hall's 
company of Col. Heman Swift's Seventh Regiment "Connecticut Line," and was honorably 
discharged at the expiration of his term of service, May 15, 1780. He was in the battles 
of Germantown, Brandywine, Monmouth and Stony Point, and in the campaign under 
General Washington at \'alley Forge. 

After receiving a good piiblic school and academic education, the subject of this sketch 
was placed by his parents in the store of Maj. Elisha A. Cowles, where, under several 
changes in the style of the firm, he served a clerkship of six years, from the age of 
fourteen to twenty. Incidental to his business duties were opportunities for attending an 
evening school in the winter months for advanced studies, an elocution society, and a 
lyceum, of which he availed himself. In March, 1836, he removed from Meriden to New 
York, and entered the employ of Perkins, Hopkins & White, then extensively engaged in 
the dry-goods jobbing trade at wholesale with the merchants of the southern states. He 
remained with that firm in confidential relations through a period of unusual instability and 
difficulty in the mercantile affairs of the country, during which time, by active participation 
in the business, he gained valuable experience in laying the foundation for his future 
prosperity. Upon the dissolution of that firm in 1842, and the re-organization of Perkins 
& Hopkins, he became interested as a partner, and upon a subsequent re-organization 
under the name of Hopkins, Allen &: Company, he came prominently before the public in 
its enterprising and successful administration. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 369 

His intercourse with the people of the South made him acquainted with their views 
and policy in reference to the institution of sla\-ery, and perceiving the growing antagonism 
between free and slave labor, and the existing conflict of principles, which foreshadowed 
serious difficiiltv to the countn,', he resolved to withdraw from the mercantile business 
(then conducted largeh- upon credit), which he did as an active partner in 1855, and in 
the year following he established a residence in the town of Saybrook, Middlesex County, 
Conn., where his family now resides. When the secession movement ripened into rebellion 
against the authority of the government of the United States, he gave the national cause 
his earnest support. In September, 1862, he paid a private bounty of fifty dollars each to 
the several persons enlisting from the town of his residence in Company B, Twenty-fourth 
Regiment, Connecticut \'olunteers, iinder the call of the President for troops. 

]\Ir. Allen received in 1863, an unsought nomination to represent the nineteenth sena- 
torial district in the state Senate, and was elected. He was reelected in 1864. In both 
j-ears he was made chairman of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly on 
finance, whose labors were of the highest importance in that critical period of public affairs, 
when the state was raising money for the war. The financial measures recommended by 
that committee and adopted by the legislature, not only enabled Connecticut to creditably 
place her full quota of men in the field, but established a policj' in the revision of the tax 
laws most favorable to the public interest, and wdiich has reduced to a minimum amount 
the state debt. The present equitable method of taxing railroad propert}-, on the basis of 
what it will sell for, by which the market value of its stocks and bonds is made the measure 
of value for the purpose of taxation, was suggested by him. On the 17th day of June, 1S64, 
IMr. Allen introduced into the Connecticut legislature the first resolution in favor of the 
abolition of slavery by constitutional amendment (see journal of the Senate, pages 273 and 
274). 

He was one of the delegates from Connecticut to meet a convention of loyal Southern- 
ers at Philadelphia on the 3d day of September, 1866, called to give expression to the 
sentiments of the people in support of Congress against the defection of Andrew Johnson. 
He was prominent in the movement that arrested the "peace flag" heresy at Saybrook, or 
the raising of any flag not representing all the states of the Union. While he was a senator 
in the years aforesaid, he was one of the Fellows of the corporation of Yale College, the law 
then being that the six senior senators were members ex-ojficio of that corporation. In the 
Hayes presidential campaign of 1876, Mr. Allen was a Republican presidential elector in this 
state. He was elected president, in 1867, of the Peoria, Pekin & Jacksonville Railroad Company 
of the state of Illinois, which position he held in active administration of the property for 
twelve 3-ears, completing in 1869 the extension of its road from Virginia to Jacksonville. 
In 1891, the road began to be operated as a part of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fd system, 
and of its main line between Chicago and St. Louis, Allen Man\el being president of the 
corporation. 

IMr. Allen was again elected to the Connecticut State Senate from the twenty-first 
district — formerly the nineteenth — and served during the sessions of 1884 and 1885 as 
chairman of the joint standing committee on railroads. He was chairman of the legislative 
committee in charge of the public ser\-ices at the inauguration of Warner's statue of William 
A. Buckingham in the battle-flag vestibule of the capitol, and he covered back into the 
treasury of the .state #259.99 out of the sum of six thousand dollars appropriated by the 
General Assembly for the statue ceremonies. For many years he has been identified with 
the public library in Old Saj-brook and president of the association. He was chairman of 
the revision committee that framed its present constitution and by-laws. He presided at the 



370 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

public exercises, held under the auspices of the ladies of Old Saybrook, on the 27th day of 
November, 1885, that celebrated the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the first settle- 
ment of Saybrook by English colonists. In matters of church government he is a Congre- 
gationalist, in theology a Unitarian, in politics a Republican. 

On the loth da)- of November, 1847, he married ]\Iary Ann Phelps, second daughter of 
the late Hon. Elisha Phelps and Lucy (Smith) Phelps of Simsbur}', Conn. They have two 
sons, John H. and William Hall, both unmarried; and four daughters, Lucy Phelps, the 
eldest, who married Charles Leslie Morgan of Great Neck, L. L, and New York; Jennett, 
who married Hon. William Hamersley of Hartford ; INIary Constance, who married Benjamin 
Knower of Scarborough-on-the-Hudson and New York ; and Grace Electa, the youngest, 
who is wedded to her parents, — their pride and joy. 




fRADLEY, NATHANIEL L., of Meriden, treasurer of the Bradley & Hubbard 
^Manufacturing Company, was born in Cheshire, Conn., Dec. 27, 1829. The 
period of 1830-31, was productive of a long list of men prominent along 
different lines of activity in national and business affairs, and in the realm of 
literature. The tide commenced to rise in the last half of 1829, and during that 
six months was born a class of men of whom Roscoe Conkling, Geo. W. Childs, C. G. 
Halpine, perhaps better known as "Miles O'Rielly," will serve as examples. President 
Chester A. Arthur, James G. Blaine, three of Garfield's cabinet, a score of Union generals, 
as many congressmen, and an extended list of men who gained reputation for themselves 
in other spheres of action, came upon the scene in 1830. 

Mr. Bradley's parents ■\\«re Levi and Abigail Ann (Atwater) Bradley. His father was 
a prudent tiller of the soil, of wide-spread influence in his town, and a man whose moral 
worth was felt in the upbuilding of virtue and temperance in the community. The entire 
family circle joined heartily in the conscientious observance of all his religious duties. The 
liberal support which he ever ga\e to the cause of religion, is the best evidence that all his 
symjjathies were in accord with the principles of Christianity. To the study of history he 
devoted much time, and the interest was sustained until the close of his life. With 
such an example constantly before them, moral excellence combined with mental and physical 
soundness would naturall)- be expected. 

N. L. Bradley was the fourth child and youngest son of his parents. The education 
needed to fit him for the stern duties of life was obtained at the Meriden Academy. His 
first instructor was John D. Post, and his studies were completed under the guidance of 
Dexter R. Wright, afterwards prominent in the affairs of the state. At the conclusion 
of his acaTlemic course, he passed a year as clerk in a hardware store in New Haven. 
Owing to the strongly expressed wish of his father, he then returned home, much to the 
regret of his employer, and gave himself up to the prosaic labors of the farm. On reach- 
ing his majority, ]\Ir. Bradley had formed no definite plans for his course in life. Agricul- 
tural pursuits were far from being remunerati\-e, nor was the drudgery satisfying to his 
ambition. By ])rudence he had accumulated what seemed in his eyes a small fortune, and 
this he invested in a clock factory in Southington, a few miles from his native to\vn. The 
compensation he recei\-ed, $1.25 per day, could hardly be termed munificent. It was amid 
these humble surroundings that his genius for work had its first opportunity to display its 
real power. Being offered a contract for making clocks in the factory, he quickly accepted, 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 371 

and his business abilities stood the test successfully. The facilities for prodncino^ the 
clocks were greater thau those for disposing of them and an accumulation occurred, which 
necessitated the stopping of the factory. A proposition was made to Mr. Bradley that 
he visit New Haven, Philadelphia and other cities for the purpose of selling off the surplus 
stock. This offer was also accepted, and his success was phenomenal. The president was 
so gratified that Mr. Bradley was elected a director, the other salesmen were dismissed, and 
he was made a traveling representative of the company. 

Large enterprises often ha\'e extremely small beginnings. It was so with the great 
industry with which Mr. Bradley's name is associated. IMore than two score years ago, in 
1852, a joint stock company was formed under the title of Bradley, Hatch & Co., with a 
capital of $5,000. The members were W. L- Bradley, Walter Hubbard and C. P. Hatch. 
Being vigorously pushed, the business grew so rapidly that in the short space of two }'ears, 
more capital was imperatively needed. Not having the requisite cash for further iu\-estment, 
the Hatch Brothers decided to retire from the company. Selling out his dry goods business, 
Walter Hubbard, with William L. and Nathaniel L,. Bradley reorganized the company, with 
the title of Bradley & Hubbard. The business and good will of the previous joint stock 
company were purchased, and the plant permanently located on the same spot where the 
present immense factory stands. Until 1875, the business was transacted on an ordinary 
co-partnership basis, but in the year named, a joint stock company was again formed imder 
the name of Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company, and sucli the title of the firm 
still remains. Walter Hubbard was chosen president, C. F. Lindsey secretary, and N. L,. 
Bradley treasurer, and no change has been made in these officers. From an article in the 
Mcridni Joitrnai, a descriptive paragraph is quoted : 

The history of the company has been one of rapid development, due to the great energy and business 
ability of Messrs. Bradley and Hubbard, the founders of the original firm. The firm started business iu an 
old two story wooden building, now used as a repair shop, and a small brick foundry. A glimpse at the 
immense buildings of to-day tells the story of the growth since then better than words can do. In 1870, the 
first large brick structure was erected, and since then the constant demand for additional room has necessitated 
the erection of other factories in which there are employed over 1,000 hands. Without doubt the company is 
the largest and best known as manufacturers of chandeliers, gas fixtures, lamps. and bronzes in existence. There 
are many of the greatest buildings all over the country that have been fitted out l)y this company, and their 
goods are always eagerly sought for since they possess the merit of artistic beauty far ahead of all competitors, 
as well as stability and honest quality. 

The company's factories are equipped with the finest machinery and mechanical appliances in the world. 
Every part of their immense establishment having been built by them for the express purpose for which it is 
used, their facilities for producing work in every branch are unequaled. Among the army of workmen which 
they employ are artists, designers, modelers, and skilled artisans. With a rapid but sure progress the company 
have grown from a modest beginning to occupy a unicjuc and prominent position in the manufacturing indus- 
tries of this country. 

In the humlile beginnings of the business Mr. Bradley officiated both as manufacturer 
and salesman. Later salesrooms were opened in New York, to the management of which 
Mr. Hubbard gave his almost undivided attention. Offices and salesrooms have been 
established in Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia, and their products find a ready and 
extended sale, not only in the United States, but are largely exported to foreign countries. 

The most important period in the growth of the city of Meriden is covered by the 
time which Mr. Bradley has resided within its limits. The population of 3,000 has grown 
to 23,000, while the size and value of its manufacturing industries has increased in even 
greater proportions. With the development of its municipal interests he has been closely 
identified, and all that tends to promote the truest welfare of a community has found in 
him a ready helper. Though often solicited so to do, the constant and pressing demands of 
his growing business have not allowed him to burden himself with many official duties. 



372 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

For one year he served as alderman, and part of the time acted as mayor. He holds a 
directorship in the First National Bank, the City Savings Bank, Meriden Fire Insurance 
Company, Meriden Trust and Safe Deposit Company, ]\Ieriden Horse Railroad Company, 
and the Meriden Publishing Company, and to each he gives a share of his time and 
counsel. Although his name does not appear in connection with them, ]\Ir. Bradley is 
interested in several other financial corporations in ]\Ieriden. 

E\"ery worthy public enterprise finds in him a liberal supporter. His influence is 
strongly felt in the political and religious life of the community. To the improvement of 
the physical features of the cit}- he has given much time, the streets, parks and cemeteries 
being objects of his especial regard. As president of the Meriden Park Company, he has 
rendered most valuable service. 

The story of Mr. Bradley's life would not be fully told iiuless reference is made to his 
zeal for the promotion of religious works of every description. Freely and regularly are his 
gifts made to proper objects of charity, and every effort for the public good receives not only 
sympathy from him, but also substantial aid. Among the first to provide for the work of the 
Young Men's Christian Association, he subscribed generously to the fund when the building 
was erected, and his interest in and gifts to this worthy adjunct of the Christian church 
have continued to the present time. He is a member of the First Congregational church of 
Meriden, and closely connected with all its work. For over twenty years he has served on 
the committee of the society, and during all these years he has faithfully sought to build up 
a harmonious and prosperous fellowship. Having but just entered upon his second half- 
ceutury of existence, Mr. Bradley is now in the very prime of his later manhood, with every 
prospect of seeing what the first quarter of the twentieth centurj^ has in store for the world. 

Mr. Bradley was married Oct. 25, i860, to Hattie E., daughter of Selden and Lucy Hooker 
(Hart) Peck of Kensington, Conn. His wife is a sharer in all his benevolent and religious 
works, and is a constant source of inspiration to him in his efforts to benefit humanity. One 
son, Clarence P. Bradlc}-, was the result of this union. He is now a director in the Bradley 
& Hubbard Manufacturing Company. 




tIITCHELL, CHARLES Le:\IOYNE, of New Haven, ex-member of Congress, 
was born in that city, Aug. 4, 1844. He died March i, 1890. 

Some of the best blood of the colonial and Revolutionary periods of 
Connecticut history found its expression in Mr. Mitchell. On the maternal 
side his genealogical line can be traced to Sir Thomas Fitch of Eltham, Kent 
Count}, Eng., who was formally created a baronet. He was a judge of much distinction 
and is so mentioned by .Sir William Blackstone. Thomas Fitch, a lineal descendant of the 
baronet, died in Braintree, Eng., leaving a widow and several sons, and after disposing of 
the family estate, they all emigrated to this countr)- between the years 1634 and 1638. 
Thomas Fitch, Jr., settled in Norwich, and, in 1665, was acknowledged as the wealthiest 
citizen of the town. Then followed two generations each bearing the same name, and 
the third Thomas Fitch was lieutenant-governor with Gov. Roger Wolcott from 1750 to 
1754, and for the next twelve years was governor of Connecticut, and was chief justice of 
the colony from 1766 to 1770. Jonathan, son of Governor Fitch, was a colonel in the 
Revolutionary War. His daughter Sarah married ]\Larvin Gorham, whose ancestors came over 
in the Maj'flower, and their daughter was the mother of Charles L. Mitchell. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1 861-1894. 2,72, 

William Mitchell caine to this country at a date impossible to ascertain accurately. 
His son John settled in New Haven, but his business was largely in the South. Edward 
A. Mitchell, son of John, married Elizabeth Mary Gorham, and became the father of the 
subject of this sketch. He was born in Bristol in 1815, and manifested exceptional business 
capacit\- at an early age. Though never prominent in political affairs, he was appointed 
postmaster of New Haven by President Tyler, and retained that position under President 
Pierce. He took an active part in establishing several of the great manufacturing industries 
which have been the means of building up the district which his son afterwards represented 
in the halls of Congress. For the last twenty years of his life, he was connected with 
many of the foremost manufacturing interests of the state. Among them were the Rogers 
& Smith Company, Winchester Repeating Arms Company, Meriden Britannia Companv, 
Benedict & Burnham Manufacturing Company, and the Willimantic Linen Company. 

C. L. ]\Iitchell received a liberal education at the popular school of General Russell, at 
New Haven, and later at the Rectory vSchool, Hamden, and the Episcopal Academy, 
Cheshire. Two years were then spent in a journey around the world, a trip which included 
Asia, Africa and Europe, and did much to broaden his mind and enlarge his conceptions of 
the scope of mercantile affairs. The enumeration of the companies in which Mr. iMitchell 
was a director will convince the most casual reader that time did not hang heavy on his 
hands, for lack of employment. He held a directorship in the Winchester Arms Company, 
the Meriden Britannia Company, Mitchell, Vance & Company, and the Tradesmen's Bank, 
New Haven. As a stockholder, he was interested in many of the prominent manufacturing 
enterprises throughout the state, among them being the Cheshire Brass Company, Benedict 
& Burnham Company, and the Waterbury Clock Company, Waterbury, R. Wallace & Sons, 
Wallingford, the Meriden Cutlery Company, and W^ilcox & White Organ Company, 
Meriden ; and the Bridgeport Brass Company, Bridgeport. Always ready to assist in 
promoting new industries that met his approval, ]\Ir. Mitchell's practical knowledge of 
business affairs and intelligent interest in scientific inventions connected with industrial 
progress, caused his counsel to be sought and valued by inventors. 

Mr. Mitchell made his entry into the public life of the state as a member of the 
legislature for the town of East Haven, in 1878. The district Tisually gave a heavy Republi- 
can majority, but such was his popularity, he carried it for the Democrats. The following 
year, he received the Democratic nomination for senator, but failed of election, though 
receiving more than the party vote in a majority of the towns. Remembering his previous 
success, his friends suggested his name for the nomination for congressman in the Second 
District, in the fall of 1892. In presenting Mr. Mitchell's name to the congressional con- 
vention, Mr. Colin ]\I. Ingersoll said in closing: "I have had the good fortune to be daily 
associated with the Hon. Charles E. Mitchell. I have noted with admiration his correct 
habits, his courtly bearing, his methodical ways, his business capacity, his connection with 
manufacturing interests and his mercantile transactions. His generosity is known to all 
cla.sses, poor and rich alike. He has also religious as.sociations. Give us this man for a 
candidate. Give him the handling of the Democratic flag in this congressional district, on 
which I wish to .see no glittering generalities, but bearing on it only economy and honesty 
in the direction of public affairs. He will carry that flag into the thickest of the fight, and 
it will never be allowed to trail in the dust. I wish that by acclamation the name of 
Charles L. IMitchell might be adopted by this convention." 

Speaking of the nomination, the New Haven Union said: "It is needless to say that 
Mr. Mitchell will be elected. He was the unanimous choice of a convention representing 
all the towns of New Haven and Middlesex Counties. He is a man of high character, is 

48 



374 



REPRESENTA TIJ E MEN 



well acquainted with the commercial and business interests of the district, and is wholly 
bej-ond the reach of corrupt agents who infest the lobbies of Congress. ^Ir. Mitchell's 
popularity was attested by the enthusiasm displayed for his nomination. His majority will 
be ver}- large. He will poll hundreds of Republican votes. His name will strengthen the 
state ticket of the Democratic party." 

The choice of the party convention was endorsed at the polls. ]\Ir. Mitchell's course 
at Washington was so satisfactor}- to his constituents, that when his first term expired, he 
was reelected by an increased vote. In this Congress he served as chairman of the com- 
mittee on patents, and on other lesser committees. He was extremely popular at the 
capital of the nation and to a high degree enjoj^ed the confidence of President Cleveland. 

His church affiliations were with the Protestant Episcopal church and he was a member 
of the vestry of St. Paul's church, New Haven. The religious and benevolent institutions 
of the city and state found in him a consistent friend, and he took an active part in their 
support and management. Fernhurst, Mr. Mitchell's family homestead, one of the most 
attractive of the many beautiful residences in the environs of New Haven, has been in the 
possession of the familj' for three generations. 

Said a brief mention of him in the Hartford Post Annual: "In private life Mr. 
Mitchell is a general favorite, a staunch friend and a good neighbor. He is a generous 
patron of art, a buyer and reader of good books, and a skilled horticulturist. By family 
training and inheritance, as well as by his own deliberate choice, a Democrat, 'Mr. Mitchell 
is free from offensive partisanship. He not only accepts, but heartily believes, in political 
progress, and has always the courage to stand by his con\-ictions." 

Charles L. Mitchell was married Feb. i, 1871, to Emma C, daughter of Anthony 
Morse of Lebanon, N. H. Two children were born to them, Edward Anthony, named for 
his grandfathers, and Elise Eathrop. 

The mention of Mr. Mitchell's death in the A^czv Haven Jonrnal and Courier contained 
the following just comment : 

In New Haveu he was endeared to all who knew him by his amiable qualities, his wide charities, and his 
public spirit. A man of the most generous and lively nature, few men had more or warmer friends. During 
his term of office at Washington he was among the most influential as well as popular members of congress, 
and had a wide circle of friends all over the country. Xo man could be dearer to his friends, and he will be 
long and sadly mourned. But it is onlj- those who enjoyed his intimate friendship who can fully appreciate 
the manv charms of his character, the cheerfulness which even illness could not depress, the generosity which 
was as direct as it was unfailing, and the taste for art, books and flowers which made his home life beautiful. 
His business associates always found in him an intelligent and sagacious co-worker, and had the utmost confi- 
dence in his enterprise and judgment. But it is by his many personal friends — and few men had so many — 
that his loss will be longest and most keenlv felt. 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6i-rSg4. 375 



% 




;ORTER. GEORGE LORING, M. D., of Bridgeport, was born in Concord, N. H., 
April 20, 1S38. He is a descendant in the ninth generation from John Porter 
who settled in Hinghara, Mass., in 1635. Among his ancestors are Elizabeth 
Porter, who was the mother of Gen. Israel Pntnam ; Asahel Porter, killed at 
Lexington ; Gen. Moses Porter, who, entering the ami}', early in the Revo- 
lution, continued in the service until 1822, "all his life in the service of his country, lonp-er 
than any officer of his grade, won the confidence and admiration of all as an able and coura- 
geous soldier, and a high disciplinarian," and Colonel Porter, a gentleman who received a laro-e 
land grant from one of the Georges in the northern part of New York and Vermont. 
Dr. Porter was graduated from the New Eondon, N. H., Academy in 1S55, and four years 
later, he received his degree from Brown University. Choosing the medical profession as 
the one best suited to his tastes for the employment of his life, he entered Jefferson Medical 
College, and taking the regulation course of studies, gained his title of M. D. in 1862. The 
War of the Rebellion was in progress, and deciding to enter the service of his country, he 
passed the examination of the army medical board in the April after graduation. He was 
assigned to duty as a "proof candidate," at Strasburg, Va., then under the command of 
]\Iajor-General Banks. 

When the national army retreated down the Shenandoah Valley, on the 25th of May, 
Dr. Porter volunteered to remain with the sick and wounded, and was captured by Colonel 
Ashby of the Virginia Cavalry, but Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson at once reinstated him in 
charge of the hospital, and also requested him to care for the Confederate wounded. This 
was one of the earliest instances, if not the very first, in the War of the Rebellion of the 
recognition of the right of medical officers to claim the protection of the rules of war govern- 
ing non-be"ligerents. For his conduct at this time he received honorable mention in the 
official reports of the division and department commanders, and a commendatory letter from 
the surgeon-general. July ist, he was assigned to Best's Battery (Light Battery F, Fourth 
Artillery, the oldest military organization in the service, having been in continuous service 
during and since the Revolution), and was present at the battle of Cedar Mountain, the 
combats along the Rappahannock, the second battle of Bull Run, and the battle of South 
Mountain. After Antietam he was in the general hospital at Braddock Barracks, Frederick, 
Md., until November, when he joined the Fifth Cavalry (U. S. A.), and served with the 
regular army until 1864. He was present at the battles of Fredericksburg, Beverly Ford, 
Gettysburg, Brandy Station and Todd's Tavern ; the engagements at Flemming's Crossroads 
and Manassas Gap ; the actions at Kelly's Ford, Middletown, Upperville, Williamsport, Boons- 
boro (where he was wounded by a fragment of shell), Funkstown, Falling Waters and Beaver 
Dam; the skirmishes at Warrenton, Ashby's Gap, Front Royal, Culpepper Court House and 
Morton's Ford. He conducted the first train of wounded sent to the transports on the Potomac 
after the battle of the Wilderness, ^Lay, 1864, and was the bearer of important dispatches 
to Washington. 

In referring to his services with the regiment. Captain Mason (afterwards in command 
of General Grant's escort), testified, "he was fearless in the discharge of his duty on the 
field of battle. He was always with the regiment when it was engaged with the enemy, 
and had many applications from his orderlies to be returned to their companies, as the service 
there was seemingly less dangerous than to remain with him. He often performed impor- 
tant surgical operations on the field and under a heavy fire. During his service the regiment 
was engaged in many battles, losing heavih- in killed and wounded. Assistant-Surgeon Porter's 
faithfulness to the sick and wounded is gratefully remembered by the ofificers and men ; and 



376 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

his conspicuous gallantry during the battles of Upperville, Aldie, Gettysburg, Williamsport, 
Funkstown and Brandy Station, where he took the dead and wounded almost from the 
hands of the enemy, entitles him to the greatest praise and consideration. He enjoyed the 
goodwill and cordial esteem of the Regular Cavalry Brigade." 

After leaving the Army of the Potomac, he served as the post-surgeon at Washington 
Arsenal from May, 1864, until May, 1867, and was the only commissioned officer present at 
the burial of the body of J. Wilkes Booth. He had medical charge of the conspirators against 
President Lincoln and his cabinet, during their imprisonment in the old penitentiary building, 
and was present at the hanging of four of them, and conducted the others to Tortugas. 
From Washington he was ordered to Camp Cook, Montana, where, after many vicissitudes 
by field and by flood, he reported August, 1867. He ser\-ed with an expedition to the 
Musselshell River, and during April and May of 1868, in addition to his medical duties, 
volunteered for, and stood regular tours as officer of the day, to relieve the line officers, 
who were greatly overworked by the constant presence of hostile Indians. 

Resigning his commission. Dr. Porter crossed the continent on horseback in Aiigust and 
September, 1868, traveling alone over the Lewis and Clarke trails, and returned to the east 
by steamer via tjie Isthmus. He then located in Bridgeport as a practicing physician and 
surgeon, and has since retained his residence in that city, adding to his reputation with 
each succeeding year. To medical publications he has made numerous contributions, and 
his address as president of the State Medical Society upon the cost of sickness to the 
individual and to the state was widely copied throughout the country-. Dr. Porter started 
the discussion in Bridgeport on suspended animation, which resulted in the passing of the 
present coroner's law of the state of Connecticut, and it is generally conceded that his 
address before the judiciary committee of the legislature largely determined the enactment 
of the present medical practice act. He has had a share in many civil and criminal trials, 
being called upon to give expert testimony, and has made numerous official post mortem 
examinations. The profession of which he is a leading member has honored him in 
varioiis ways. Besides serving as president of the Bridgeport City and Fairfield County 
Medical Societies, for the years 1888 and 1889 he was president of the Connecticut Medical 
Society. He is one of the judicial council of the American jNIedical Association, and the 
American Academy of Medicine. 

Dr. Porter was made a Mason and a Knight Templar in the city of Washington, in 
the old George Washington bodies. He is now one of the nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and 
is a thirty-second degree Mason, being a member of Corinthian Lodge at Bridgeport. 
Taking in a gi'and total of the whole, he is a member of nearly seventy different societies 
and organizations. He has been connected with the National Guard of Connecticut, and 
has served as surgeon of the Fourth Regiment, and as medical director of the state brigade. 
He is a member of the Loyal Legion of the state of New York and is one of the inspectors 
of the Retreat for the Insane at Hartford. 

Dr. Porter's wife was a Providence lady, the daughter of Mr. Chaffee, the inventor of 
the Chaffee cylinder for vulcanizing rubber. They have four children. 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 377 

ESvSENDEN, SA]\IUEL, of Stamford, a distinguished lawyer and state's attorney 
for Fairfield county, ex-meniber of the Connecticut House of Representatives, 
and prominent for many years as a leader in the Republican party, was born 
at Rockland, Me., April 12, 1847. 

The family to which he belongs was descended from Nicholas Fessenden, 
says the "Biography of Connecticut," who came from England, and settled in Cambridge, 
Mass., in 1674. One of its worthiest members of the third generation was the Rev. William 
Fessenden, who was graduated at Harvard College, and became the first minister of Fryeburg, 
Me., then a district of Massachusetts. His son, Samuel Fessenden, born at Fr)-eburg, July 
14, 1784, was a man of marked distinction. Connecting himself with the militia while a 
young man, he rose to the rank of major-general, and for many years commanded a division 
of the Ma.ssachusetts citizen soldiery. He was a lawyer by profession and was engaged in 
active practice in the courts of Maine for more than fortj'-five }-ears, where, by his great 
ability and absolute integrity, he achieved a distinguished and justly deserved reputation as 
a safe and faithful counselor and able advocate, ranking among the most prominent and 
successful members of the bar. In politics a Federalist, he became a pronounced anti-slaverv 
man in 1841, joining the ranks of the Abolitionists with whom he was closely identified 
luitil the formation of the Republican party, the pi'inciples of which he warmly espoused 
and ably and eloquently defended. Possessed of great moral courage and devoid of physical 
fear he always took a prominent part in the discussion of public questions, having the courage 
of his convictions in the expression of his opinions during the exciting and stormy period of 
anti-slavery agitation. General Fessenden, who was the grandfather of the subject of this 
sketch and for whom he was named, had nine sons, three of whom, William Pitt, Samuel C. 
and Thomas A. D., were in the delegation of Maine in the Thirty-se\enth Congress, the only 
instance in the history of the United States where three brothers have been elected to the 
same Congress from the same state. The eldest, the late William Pitt Fessenden, who will 
always be held in honored remembrance for his distinguished services to his country during 
the late civil war, and as secretary of the treasury in the cabinet of President Lincoln, has 
passed into history as one of America's ablest statesmen and financiers. 

The second, Samuel Clement Fessenden, though overshadowed l)y the national fame of 
his eminent brother, was, like him, a man of ability and distinction. Born in New Glouces- 
ter, Me., March 7, 1815 (five years before the district of Maine was admitted as a state), he 
was graduated at Bowdoin College in 1834, and at the Bangor Theological Seminary in 1837. 
After being pastor of the First Congregational church in Thomaston (now Rockland), 
Me., for nearly twenty years, he studied law, was admitted to the bar, and shortly afterwards 
was elected judge of the municipal court of Rockland. He was a leading abolitionist and 
one of the founders of the Republican party, and as the candidate of that party was elected 
to Congress in 1861, serving until 1863. He married Mary A. G., daughter of Joshua Abbe 
of Bangor, Me. His family consisted of four sons and eight daughters. The eldest son, 
Joshua Abbe Fessenden, entered the army at the outbreak of the Rebellion and became a 
captain in the United States army. He .served in the Army of the Cumberland, and was 
wounded at Chickaniauga. 

The second son, Samuel, the subject of this sketch, was educated at Lewistou Falls 
Academy, Auburn, Me. The outbreak of the Rebellion found him a boy of fourteen, in the 
midst of his preparation to enter college. From the firing of the first gun on Sumter he 
burned with the desire to enter the .service of his country. At sixteen his military ardor 
could no longer be held in restraint, and .sacrificing his college career, he gallantly enli-sted 
as a private in the Seventh Maine Volunteer Battery. On December 14, 1864, being strongly 



378 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

recommended for promotion by General Grant, he was appointed to a first lieutenancy in the 
Second United States Infantry, by President Lincoln, and before the close of the year was 
offered a captaincy in that company, but having been recommended for a commission 
in the artillery service of his own state, with the duties of which he was practically 
familiar, he declined to accept these commissions, and on Jan. 15, 1S65, although 
lacking three months of being eighteen j-ears of age, was commissioned as second lieutenant 
in the First Maine Volunteer Battery, then at the front. After a brief service with this 
command he was appointed as aide on the staff of ]\Iajor-General Albion P. Howe, and 
remained in this position until mustered out of the service at the close of the war. He 
participated in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, and 
in every position in which he was placed performed his duties so gallantly and conscientiously 
as to win the favoraljle recognition of his superiors. 

Upon leaving the army he decided upon adopting the profession of law, and took the 
full course of study at the Harvard Law School, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of 
Laws. On March 4, 1869, having taken up his residence at Stamford, Conn., he was duly 
admitted to the bar of Fairfield County. A Republican by preference, as well as by inherited 
instinct, he took an acti\e part in politics from the date of settling at Stamford, and, in 1874, 
was elected on the party ticket to the lower branch of the state legislature. He served 
during this term as a member of the judiciary committee and "made one of the ablest 
speeches of the session on the parallel railroad project, carrying the House by the eloquence 
and force of his presentation of the case." In 1876, he was a delegate from Connecticut to 
the Republican National Con\-ention at Cincinnati, and after Connecticut had complimented 
her favorite son, voted every other ballot for the nomination of James G. Blaine. In 1879, 
he was again elected to represent Stamford in the General Assembly, and became one of the 
leaders of his party in that borly. Air. Fessenden has been an active and prominent member 
of every State Republican Convention held in Connecticut for fully fifteen years. Gifted 
with rare eloquence and seemingly unlimited capacity for hard work, he has won high dis- 
tinction as a party leader. In 18S0, he was again a delegate to the Republican National 
Convention at Chicago, and \-oted steadily from "start to finish" for the nomination of 
Mr. Blaine. In 1884, he was elected secretary of the Republican National Committee, and in 
that capacit}- showed himself the possessor of singular executive ability. He is still a mem- 
ber of the National Committee of his party, and as one of the executive board ranks with 
its most trusted advisers. In 1888, he was a delegate at large to the Republican National 
Convention of that year, was chosen chairman of the delegation, and took a prominent part 
in bringing about the nomination of President Harrison, and was engaged in the active work 
of the campaign which followed. 

Although still a young man for one so prominent, Mr. F'essenden has had a rare 
experience of men and events. He began his career by valiantly facing the enemies of his 
country on the field of battle. While in the army and since, his social relations have 
brought him into contact with almost all the prominent men in public life. His great 
political activity in recent \ears has kept him in close touch with the leaders of his party 
in all parts of the country. He is known as a man of strict integrity, high intelligence and 
infinite resources, an able and trustworthy executive officer and a wise and experienced 
manager and counselor. He is renowned at the bar for the care he bestows on the 
preparation of his cases and for the skill and eloquence with which he presents them. It 
is doubtful if there is a more powerful or successful advocate in the state than Mr. 
Fessenden in a cause in\ol\ing a great principle or a public l)enefit. He has the reputation 
among his colleagues of being a formidable antagonist at any time, being not only skillful, 
thorough and eloquent, but likewise powerful in his influence over juries. 




cj^ ^^ 7^ ^. 



^i^/Z^^-^^^^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, iSdi-iSg^. 379 

Mr. Fessenden has few equals in personal popularity. He seems to possess the art of 
holding the many friends whom his many fine qualities of head and heart draw to him. If 
there is one class of citizens in whose esteem he stands higher than in any other it is 
probably the veteran soldiers, with whom, not only in Connecticut, but in many other 
states where he is known, he is a prime favorite. He was one of the founders of the 
Army and Navy Club of Connecticut, of which he is still a member. He is a member of 
the military order of the Loyal Legion, and also of numerous civil bodies, including the 
Bar Association of Fairfield County, of which he has been president for many years. He is 
also director of the Stamford National Bank, the Stamford Loan and Trust Company, and 
other financial institutions. In 1880, he was appointed by the judges of the Supreme and 
Superior Courts, state's attorney for Faii-field County for the term of two years and by suc- 
cessive re-appointments still holds that office. His private practice is very large, covering 
almost every department of law, as his learning seems to include almost ever}' department 
of knowledge. 

Samuel Fessenden was married June 26, 1873, to Helen ]\I., daughter of Theodore 
Davenport of Stamford, Conn. They have three children, one son and two daughters. 




;ARNER, IRA DE VER, AI. D., of Bridgeport, senior member of the firm of 
Warner Brothers, was born in Lincklaen, Chenango County, N. Y., March 26, 
1840. The first of the family of whom there is any accurate record is Abel 
Warner, though nothing is known of his antecedents. He was born about 1760, 
and lived at Hardwick, Mass., where he died March 11, 1816. His wife was a 
direct descendant of Francis Cook, who came over on the " ]\Iayflower," and a relative of Capt. 
John Cook, the explorer. Abel Warner had eight children, among them Justus Warner, the 
father of Charles Dudley Warner and George Warner, now living at Hartford, Conn., and Ira 
Warner, the grandfather of Ira De Ver Warner. Ira Warner removed from Massachusetts, when 
he was a young man, to Truxton, N. Y., where he owned a farm of several hundred acres of 
land, and raised a family of twelve children. His oldest son was Alonzo Franklin Warner, the 
father of the subject of this sketch. He was born Nov. 18, 1810, and died Dec. 31, 1846. He 
was a sturdy, honest farmer of central New York, and in principles a thorough Quaker. 
The mother of Dr. Warner was Lydia Ann Converse, a daughter of Calvin Converse, a promi- 
nent citizen of Butternuts, Otsego County, N. Y. Her grandfather was Edward Con\erse, who 
resided at Thompson, Conn., and removed to Butternuts during the early part of the present 
century. Tradition in the family says that the Converse family are descended from Edward 
Converse, who came over with Governor Winthrop and afterwards settled at Woburn, Mass. 
After receiving a common school and academic education, Mr. Warner decided upon the 
medical profession as the one best suited to his tastes in which to exert the future activities 
of life, and entered the office of Dr. C. M. Kingman, a prominent physician and surgeon of 
McGrawville, Courtland County, N. Y. Pursuing his studies with diligence and close 
attention, a little later he took the regular course at Geneva ^iledical College and had the honor 
of being the valedictorian of his class. 

Commencing the practice of his profession at Nineveh, Broom County, N. Y., Dr. Warner 
remained there about two years, and then returned to McGrawville, and succeeded to the 
practice of his former preceptor. Dr. Kingman. The place of a physician put him in close 
touch with the needs of humanity, and he was soon convinced that the masses of the people 



38o REPRESENTATIIE MEN 

should be given instruction regarding their physicial organization. Accordingly he instituted 
a series of popular lectures, which he delivered with marked success throughout New England 
and the Middle States. An attractive speaker and a thorough master of his profession, he 
naturally drew large and intelligent audiences, and for the space of ten years he continued 
tipon the lecture platform, everywhere impressing his hearers with the cogency of his arguments 
and their own need of enlightenment. 

During his career as a lecturer, Dr. Warner brought one of his ideas into practical shape. 
He had become assured that many of the' diseases of woman were the result of badly contrived 
corsets, and to meet this need of the suffering female sex, he invented the justl}' celebrated 
Warner health corset. Its practical construction and the endorsement of the doctor's name 
soon gave the new corset great popularity. The manufacture was begun at McGrawville, 
where it was continued until 1876, when the largely increased sales demanded better facilities. 
After due consideration, Dr. Warner decided to locate in Bridgeport, the site of the present 
brick factory was selected, a building erected, and in October of that vear the manufacture of 
cor.sets was commenced. Not content with producing a corset which worked a revolution in 
the .style of this much needed article, he still gave the subject his study, and in 1878, he 
patented and began the manufacture of the famous flexible hip corset, an improvement being 
that the bones ran horizontall\- around the bod\- instead of vertically as in all previous efforts. 
"Coraline," a stiffening for corsets, made from "Ixtel," a species of hemp, are among the 
doctor's later ideas of making the best and most comfortable and easy fitting "stays." 

In an almost incredibly short period of time, an industrial enterprise of vast proportions 
has been built up, of which not only Bridgeport, but New England and the entire country 
has just cause to feel proud. It is the largest establishment of the kind in America, and the 
success attained is fully deserved by the energy displayed. From a small shop where six 
hands were eniploxed, the business has grown till it fills a model plant supplying work for 
sixteen hundred people, and with facilities for turning out seven hundred dozen corsets daily. 
Seven hundred .sewing machines are used, some of them running twelve needles simultaneously. 
Dr. Lucien C. Warner, a younger brother of Dr. I. De Ver Warner, has been a partner in the 
business from its connuencement, the title of the firm being Warner Brothers. Dr. Lucien 
C. Warner has charge of selling the goods at the New York and Chicago offices, and has 
done nmch to introduce the goods abroad. Besides their immense sales in this country^ the 
Warner corsets are made in England by William Pretty & Sons of Ipswich. 

Warner Brothers have always felt a deep interest in the physical welfare of their employees. 
Though ever thoughtful of the comfort of those who worked in their shops, they still realized 
that something better was needed, and these ideas gradually took tangible shape in the 
"Seaside Institute." This is a brick building about seventy feet square and three stories 
high, erected on a lot adjoining their factory, and devoted wholly to the uses of their girls. 
The building contains a hall, reading-room and library, together with class and work rooms, 
bathing facilities, etc., and its general management is patterned, to some extent, after that 
of the Young IVIen's Christian Association. The total cost of the building is something over 
$90,000. Its \-alue is thoroughly appreciated, and it is a magnificent monument to the 
Christian thoughtfulness which made its existence possible. It was opened with appropriate 
ceremonies Nov. 10, 1887, by Mrs. Grover Cleveland, wife of the President, and she entered 
heartily into the spirit of the occasion, about three thousand working women having the 
privilege of shaking hands with the first lady of the land. During the panic of 1893, a small 
army of unemployed women were fed at the restaurant at nominal rates. 

P^rom the \'ery founding of the Bridgeport Young Men's Christian Association, Dr. 
Warner has been, zealous in the promotion of its success, as he has a strong faith in the 



OF CONNECTICUT, iSdi-iSg^. 381 

possibilities of work along its lines. He was chosen the first president of the organization, 
and b}' snccessive elections has held that office to the present time. Being a practical nianu- 
factnrer himself, he has paid mnch attention to the educational and industrial phases of the 
work. Besides giving the land on which the handsome association building now stands, his 
yearly donations to the current expenses have been liberal in the extreme. His interest in 
young men has not been confined to the city where he makes his home, but for two )'ears 
Dr. Warner served as chairman of the Connecticut state committee, and in this broader field 
his efforts broitght about a renewed zeal in the association cause in all parts of the state. 

Fully occupied in his business and actively interested in philanthropic work, with a single 
exception he has always declined official honors. For two years he was a member of the 
Bridgeport City Council, and contributed his share, giving the citizens a business administra- 
tion of affairs. For four years he has been vice-president of the Pequannock Bank. In 
religious faith he affiliates with the Presbyterian doctrine, and is an active worker in that 
portion of the vineyard of the Lord in which his lot is cast. He is a member of the First 
Presbyterian church of Bridgeport. Having by only a few years passed the half-century 
mark of human life, Dr. Warner has yet many j-ears of usefulness stretching out before him. 
With none of his faculties impaired and all his abilities merely improved by long experience, 
his opportunities for good in the future are even greater than they have ever been in the past. 
His earl}- zeal for suffering humanity, his philanthropic treatment of his employees, and his 
disinterested work in connection with the Young Men's Christian Association, together with 
his professional learning and his executive ability as a business manager, all coml)ine to 
stamp Dr. Warner as one of the representative men of Connecticut. 

He was married Sept. 24, 1862, to Lucetta H., daughter of David Greenman of McGraw- 
ville, N. Y. Three children have been born to them, Annie L., now Mrs. N. W. Bishop, 
De Ver H. and Hugh F. The last named died May i, 1879, aged eight years. 




^lAMP, HIRAM, of New Haven, president of the New Haven Clock Company, 

was born April 9, 1811, at Plymouth, Conn. He died July 12, 1893. 
j His father, Samuel Camp, and his grandfather, who bore the same name, 

were substantial New England yeomen, and of the stalwart, unconquerable. 
Puritanic stock, to which the countr}- and the world are so largely indebted. 
Samuel Camp, Sr., w^as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, was well acquainted with General 
Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, and rendered efficient service to the cause of his 
countr}- at Crown Point, Ticonderoga, and Staten Island. Four of his brothers, namely, 
John, Bennajah, Joab and Epliraim, also served in the patriot armies. John Camp became 
a Congregationalist minister, and Samuel Camp a deacon in the same order of the Christian 
church. The latter settled in Plymouth, and in old age was maintained by his son, Samuel 
Camp, Jr., the father of Pliram Camp, who also supported his wife's parents. The pressure 
of onerous responsibility thus resting on the shoulders of the younger Samuel, made it very 
neces.sary that all the members of his family should aid in sustaining it. The farm was poor,' 
and the soil rocky. The good old deacon, when past the season of effective agricultural labor, 
employed his declining energies most usefully, by visiting every family in the town, at least 
once in the course of each year, in order to converse with its members on religions topics, 
and to pray with and for them. His son followed in the same beneficent path, was intensely 
interested in religious affairs, had committed not less than half the contents of the Bible to 

49 



382 REPRESENTAriVE MEN 

memory, and was al\va}s ready to speak of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 
The influence of such examples and of such teaching upon his children was benign and 
powerful. He literally obeyed the injunctions of the Almighty- to the Israelitish people, and 
through them to all people, to speak of His precepts and promises to their children, when 
lying down, rising up and walking by the way. 

Young Camp's abilities were utilized while he was yet in very tender years. At the age 
of four he Avas tied on a horse used in plowing. The child slipped from the back of the animal 
on one occasion, and narrowly escaped violent death, while the frightened horse ran about 
the field, with the strange burden dangling against his legs. Incidents similar in character 
are recorded of se\-eral eminent men, who in their childhood were providentially preserved to 
accomplish their destined mission in mature life. Such educational advantages as the common 
country schools of the time afforded were appropriated by the rapidh- developing youth. 
The study of ''DaljolTs Arithmetic," and of "Walker's Spelling-Book" was not a complete 
prepai'ation for business life by any means, but it was much better than none. The value 
of opportunity to individuals resides largely in their own disposition to improve it. Hiram 
Camp eagerly seized the opportunity presented, and then proceeded to make further oppor- 
tunities for himself. He had a natural taste for mechanical pursuits, and besought his 
father's permission to work with his uncle in the manufacture of clocks. It was finally 
determined that he might do so on attaining the age of eighteen. When that eventful epoch 
arrived, breakfast over, family worship ended, "Good-by" pronounced to parents and sisters, 
he struck a direct line across the country for about ten miles to the residence of Chauncey 
Jerome, his mother's brother. All his worldly goods were then tied up within the limits 
of a cotton handkerchief. Mr. Jerome received his nephew with kindness, and ere long put 
him in charge of all his works. The business association then formed continued for some- 
what more than twent}' years. 

At that period the clock manufacture was in its infancy. Little had been done toward 
its establishment in this country previous to the year i<Si5. From that time to 1829, it grew 
slowl)-, and b\- the aid of machinery that was small in quantity and poor in quality. Since 
then vast improvements, to which Mr. Camp has largely contributed, have been effected. 

The measurement of time h\ the mechanical contrivances known as clocks, is compara- 
tively of very recent date. The sundial and the clepsydra were the early machines used for 
that purpose, the first showing apparent time, and the latter giving a rude approximation 
to mean time. These inadequate instruments doubtless provoked the inventive ingenuity 
of the unknown person, or persons, to whom the world is indebted for its invaluable clocks. 
Whether he or they were French, German, or Italian is impossible now to determine. Strik- 
ing clocks were known in Italy in the latter part of the thirteenth, or the beginning of the 
fourteenth centur_\'. In the year 1288, the fine imposed on the chief justice of the king's 
bench was appropriated to furnishing a clock for the famous clock-house near Westminster 
Hall. St. Mary's, at Oxford, was not provided with a clock until 1523, when one was paid 
for out of fines imposed on the students of the university. Venice did not obtain a clock, 
according to one author, until 1497. Henry de Wyck, a German artist, who placed a clock 
in the tower of the palace of Charles V., about the year 1364, is held by some to have been 
the inventor of the machine; but it is more pro])able, as Berthoud suggests, that it is a 
compound of successive inventions, each worthy of a separate contriver. Analogy certainlj' 
sustains this opinion, for the timepieces of the present day have been brought to their present 
degree of perfection by consecutive improvements irpon the comparatively rude mechanism 
of De Wyck. 

In 1560, the celebrated astronomer, Tycho Bralie, possessed four clocks which indicated 
hours, minutes and seconds. Prior to that jear the substitution of a main-spring for a weight, 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18(^4. 383 

as the moving power, and also the application of the fnsee, ninst have taken place. Hnyghen 
is often credited with the application of the pendnlnni to the clock, and is entitled to the 
honor of having done so in a masterly and scientific manner, although it is known that 
Richard Harris, a London artist, invented a long pendulnm clock in 1614. * Science is much 
indebted to the ingenious manufacturers of clocks, for, in 1577, ]\Ioestlin, 1)\- counting the 
number of beats made during the time of the stin's passage over a meridian, determined the 
sun's diameter to be thirty-four minutes and thirteen seconds. Huyghens discovered that 
the pendulum vibrated slower as it approached the equator, which led the way to the subse- 
quent disco\-ery that the earth is not a globe, but an oblate spheroid. 

In 1680, Clement of London invented the anchor escapement; and, in 1715, Georee 
Graham discovered the means of rectifying the errors of the pendulum, caused by the con- 
traction and expansion of metals under changes of temperature, in the celebrated mercurial 
pendulum. He afterward introduced the dead-beat escapement. Since his death numerous 
scientific improvements of great value have been made by successive inventors, which have 
given to timepieces the quality of precision to a degree that closely approximates perfection. 
Among the men through whose genius and industry this splendid result has been attained, 
must be included Hiram Camp of New Haven. In 1842 or 1843, Mr. Jerome removed part 
of his works, that for the making of cases, to New Haven. In 1845, Mr. Camp having then 
been for sixteen years in his employ, Jerome's movement shop was burned to the ground, 
and much of the contained machinery destroyed. Measures were at once taken to rebuild it, 
not in Bristol, Conn., but in New Haven. 

Mr. Camp was the inventor as well as the manufacturer of most of the different kinds of 
clocks made at the present time. One of his most curious inventions is a clock which beats 
time to music, and whose movements can be regulated at will. It was designed for the use 
of schools in marking time for gymnastics, calisthenic and military exercises. In T851, he 
entered into business on his own account, erected a building, and began the manufacture 
of clock movements. This enterprise he prosecuted alone until 1853, when he organized 
a joint stock association, under the title of the New Haven Clock Company. The capital 
of the corporation was fixed at $20,000. The officers were as follows: Hiram Camp, president; 
James E. English, late governor of Connecticut and also United States senator, treasurer; 
and John Woodruff, since a member of Congress, secretary. In 1856, the New Haven Clock 
Company increased its capital and productive capacity by purchasing the machinery and 
business of the Jerome Clock Manufacturing Company. Its organization was slightly changed 
at the same time, James E. English becoming secretary as well as treasurer. He was after- 
ward succeeded in the former office* by Edward Stevens, the present secretary, and the capital 
stock was simultaneously increased to $200,000. Throughout all these changes Mr. Camp 
retained the presidency of the company, and the general management of the manufacturing 
department. More clocks have been made under his supervision than under that of an\- one 
living man. His management of an establishment, making more clocks than an)- other on the 
globe, extended backwards half a century. Until within the past twenty-five or thirty years, 
the principal seats of the clock manufacture have been in England, France and Switzerland . 
But the United States have made, and are still making, gigantic strides toward the leadership 
in this, as in other branches of mechanical art. The United States census of 1870 showed 
that in that year there were forty-si.x establishments in this country devoted to the fabrication 
of clocks, clock cases, and clock materials; that the machinery in the.se establishments was 
run by eighteen steam engines and twenty-nine watei'- wheels ; that sixteen hundred and five 
hands were employed; that the capital invested in them amounted to $1,133,650; and that 
the wholesale value of their products reached the sum of $3,022,253. Of these aggregates, 



384 REPRESEXTATH'E MEN 

the state of Connecticut had twenty-eight establishments, eleven steam engines, twenty-seven 
water-wheels, fourteen hundred and seventy-one employees, $1,008,650 invested capital, and 
$2,747,153 in wholesale value of the products. All these figures have been largely increased 
in the years which have elapsed since the date named. 

Mr. Camp's energies were not wholly confined within the limits of manufacture and trade. 
He filled several public offices in deference to the wishes of the people, such as member of 
the city council, selectman of the town, chief engineer of the civic fire department, and 
member of the state legislat-are. The Emperor Charles V., after his stormy and eventful 
reign, sought peace in the seclusion of the monastery at Yuste, in Spain. There he amused 
himself by the collection and study of timepieces. Not one of them could he compel to keep 
precisely the same time with another ; nor could he hold any one in exact correspondence with 
the movements of the heavenly bodies. From this deficiency of power over mechanical 
arrangements in carr\-ing out his purposes he inferred, when too late, his supreme folly in 
having imperioush- striven to make his multitudinous subjects think and worship just as he 
had done. Mind is more variable than matter, and is governed by other forces. Not less 
pious, but vastly more wise, than he, Mr. Camp sought to bring about the harmony of human 
heart and life with the mind and will of the Almighty Mechanic of the universe, by support- 
ing two Sabbath school missionaries in Nebraska, and also a city missionary in another state. 
He knew that each human being has his place in the world's mechanism, whether it correspond 
to that of wheel, fusee, escapement, or merely tooth or peg, and aimed through the instru- 
mentality of his missionary agents, and the help of the Divine Spirit, to fit each for his place 
in the great whole; so that humanity in its entireness may move in perfect accord and concord 
with the Great Author of nature and the Giver of all grace. 

Later in life Mr. Camp became greatly interested in the work of the famous evangelist, 
Dwight L. Moody, and was president of the school at Mt. Hermon at the time of his death. 
At different times he ga\-e about $100,000 to the development of the school and other branches 
of the work at Mt. Hermon, and he made liberal provision for its continuance at his death. 
His fimeral was one of the largest which ever took place in New Haven, and all who had known 
or been associated with him seemed to take pleasure in showing their respect for their deceased 
townsman and fellow citizen, and in paying their last tribute of love and affection for their 
deceased friend. In the course of his remarks the Rev. Watson L. Phillips of the Church of 
the Redeemer said : 

The principal thing to be looked at in a man is his attitude toward spiritual things and truths — truths 
which are universally regarded as truths even by those who don't accept them as the fundamental principles of 
their own living. That which lives longest when bodily relations have faded from sight is what comes from 
one's personal relation to these spiritual truths. 

Mr. Camp was wont to remark that about fifteen years ago a great change came to him both as a Christian, 
a business man and a representative of the Christian church. The truth of Christ was held by him in his earliest 
mauhood in most steadfast lielief. But he was simply a Christian business man, loving the church of his choice, 
giving to it of his substance and attending it regularly. But after the time of which I speak there was a marked 
change in him — a change iu his line of thinking. Religion from that time became the business of his life. All 
that he had become up to that time throughout a diligent life and all that he had acquired was from that hour 
devoted to Christ. He regarded himself simply as a steward. He lived in His name and by His grace. And he 
went forth day by day to strive as he had never striven before to make his life conform to the principles of the 
New Testament. .A.nd he went forth with his goods in his hand, doing good to all with whom he came in contact. 
And in this I think we can find the key to the wonderful impression which he has made upon this commuuity 
and upon all men with whom he associated. The greatest question of his life was when and how he could be of 
the most use to the most men. In a word religion in its sweetest, purest and most ennobling sense became the 
business of his life. 

I think his two principal characteristics were simplicity and strength. And he was strong through his verj' 
simplicity. He was a strong man both mentally and physically — one of the sturdy, rugged men who moved 
among us and who blessed the church of which he was a member and the community of which he was a citizen. 





i^'h^^Z^.-C^^-^'C 



C-^ 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S61-1S94. 385 

Some things came of this change, too. He hail loved the church before. But now he loved it with the fondest 
affection, and he gave his heart to the work in such a way that it became his ambition to serve the church in the 
highest and strongest way. He also developed a much stronger love for the Holy Scriptures and strove to fdl his 
mind with them. 

After the completion of his public bequests, which were exceedingly liberal, the remainder 
of Mr. Camp's property was equally divided between his three daughters, Mrs. Mary A. White, 
a widow, who has been a resident at the home of her father for some time; Mrs. Sarah Jane 
Cruttenden, wife of George Cnittenden, and Mrs. Jeannette Harmount, also a widow. 




jAMMOND, GEORGE ASAHEL, of Putnam, .senior member of the firm of 
Hammond, Knowlton & Company, silk manufacturers, was born Mav 26, 
1S41, in Hampton, Conn. 

The first representative of the Hammond family in x\merica emigrated 
from England and settled in the suburbs of Boston now Newton. His grand- 
father, Asahel, and a brother, Hezekiah, each settled upon farms in the town of Hamp- 
ton early in the century, and later both bought homes at Brookl)-n, the coitnty seat, 
mo\-ing there soon after 1840. Three sons and five daughters were born to Asahel. George 
Robinson, the second son, father of George A., purchased the farm, after teaching in Wind- 
ham County schools, where he always lived, for a term of years. There were four sons and 
four daughters, of whom one-half died in childhood. Charles Storrs was married and died at 
the age of thirty-seven. His son, Clarence Asahel, is now living. Lucy Ann married George 
Hart and died at the age of thirty. William Henry occupies the old farm, well known as 
"Red Roof," which in the censtts of 1890 showed the largest production of any in Windham 
County. He has two daughters living. The mother of George A. Hammond was the eldest 
of nine children, he was the eldest grandchild, and his son, Charles Henry, the eldest great- 
grandchild; the latter died in Colorado at the age of twenty, April 15, 18S8. There is a 
group picture in existence, showing four generations living, of ]\Ir. Hammond's grandmother, 
his mother, himself and son, with about twenty-five . years difference in their ages. 

His education was obtained at the county schools, and for two terms at Williston Seminary, 
Easthampton, IMass. While there he took a thorough cour.se in penmanship, and for one 
term was assistant teacher in that branch in the seminary. Following in the footsteps of his 
father, he taught five terms in W^indham County schools. 

The War of the Rebellion was in progress, and just after Mr. Hammond attained his 
majority, the town of Hampton had a call for nine men to fill its quota. A meeting was 
called for the purpose of .securing enlistments, and the authorities invited men to state what 
inducement in money would cause them to enlist. Stirred by patriotic impulses, he announced 
promptly that he would go to the defence of his country without any money consideration. 
His example was immediately followed by four others, and as soon as this fact became known 
the quota was filled without further trouble and a draft on the town prevented. 

He joined Company G, Twenty sixth Connecticut Volunteers as private, but by vote 
of the company was soon elevated to the rank of orderly sergeant. The regiment was com- 
manded by Col. Thomas G. Kingsley and served under General Banks through that memora- 
ble siege at Port Hudson. The Twenty-sixth Connecticut was brigaded with the Fifteenth 
New Hampshire, of which Senator Henry W. Blair was colonel, the One Hundred and 
Twenty-eighth New York and Twenty-fourth Maine. The brigadier general was Neal Dow, 
the noted leader in the temperance cause. Captain Stanton of Company G was killed May 
27, in the first assault made on Port Hudson, and Orderly Sergeant Hammond was then 



386 REPRESENTATIIE MEN 

appointed by the colonel acting lientenant the remainder of his term. His term of service 
did not relieve him from possibility of draft, and wishing to enter bnsiness fnrnished a 
snbstitnte for fnll three years' term. He entered the silk bnsiness with his nncle, Charles 
L. Bottnm, Aiignst, 1864, in the town of Mansfield, Conn. 

Mr. Hammond was especially fortunate in having as instructor in the spooling and 
finishing department Goodrich Holland, brother of "Timothy Titcomb," and Anson Swift, 
a well known throwster, and having as co-workers John A. Conant and his brother Hiram. 
At the close of the second year, his constant application to the details of manufacturing 
gained him the position of superintendent of the mill, and at the end of the third was given 
an interest, and five years later he was made a member of the concern. Mr. Hammond was 
early recognized as an expert in the spooling of silk, and this reputation caused him to be 
invited to set up spoolers in three new mills and assisting in the work of starting many 
others. Twice flattering inducements have been made to go to other mills, but he always 
remained lo)'al to the concern with which he first engaged. 

With his cousin, Charles C. Knowlton, as an active partner, and George M. Morse as a 
special partner, Mr. Hammond established a silk mill at Putnam, Conn., in 1878. The two 
partners purchased Mr. Morse's interest in 1881, and in 1885, Louis Hauchhaus, who had 
.served three years as salesman, was taken into the concern. It is a favorite saying of his, 
"Pretty good will not do, the best attainable is poor enough." The factory has always 
been proverbial for its neat appearance, and this has no little effect on the quality of the 
goods produced. He prefers to lead and let his competitors follow or imitate his successes. 
Year by year the sales of the firm have steadily increased until in 1893, probably no concern 
in the country made a larger output in their specialties of sewing silks, machine twists and 
silk braids. January ist, 1894, his firm with two others formed the New London Wash Silk 
Company at New London, Conn., and they produce "wash silk" embroideries of superior 
merit, which are growing in popularity in the market. Mr. Hammond is now recognized as 
one of the leading manufacturers in his line, and this reputation has been gained by fair 
dealing and persistent work, backed up by a thorough knowledge of all the processes and 
details which enter into the manufactured product. 

Men of his stamp and character must expect to be called xipon to serve their fellow 
citizens in official stations. At an early period after his arrival in Mansfield, he was placed 
upon the school board, and retained his membership as long as he resided in the town. 
After coming to Putnam, he was again made a member of the school board, serxing one 
year as acting school visitor, and is now a member of the board. In 1876, he represented 
the town of Mansfield in the state legislature, and served on several -important committees. 
Mr. Hammond was elected to the legislature in 1885, from the town of Putnam, and was 
reelected by the popular vote the following year. He was appointed chairman of the com- 
mittee on manufactures, and a member of the railroad committee, and was generally 
acknowledged as one of the active working members of the House. It was mainly through 
his efforts that the charter for the Putnam Water Works was granted, being one of the first 
legislative acts of the session. For two years he served as a member of the executive 
committee of the Home Market Club, Boston. The second year, Gen. Wm. Draper, now a 
member of Congress, was president of the club. On the same committee with Mr. Hammond 
were T. J. Coolidge, ex-minister to France ; W. H. Bent, now president of the club ; Wm. 
A. Russell, ex-member of Congress, and other men of equal prominence. 

He took great interest in the fact that Putnam was the first town in the county to intro- 
duce a system of city water works, as well as an electric light plant, and was active in 
promoting both enterprises. For two years he was president of the Electric Light Company 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6i-i8g4. 387 

of Ptituaiii, his mill and residence being the first in the town to introdnce the new light. 
Having bnt jnst ronnded ont the first half centnry of life, he has yet many years of useful- 
ness before him, and one need not be a prophet to make the prediction that the future has 
still higher honors in store for his acceptance. 

George A. Hammond was married Oct. 12, 1862, to Jane, daughter of Hezekiah Crandall, 
and niece of Prudence Crandall who was prominent in anti-slavery days. Of their two 
children, a sou and a daughter, the latter, Bertha Elizabeth, is still living. 




^REWSTER, LY:MAN DENISON, of Danbury, Conn., was born in Salisbury, 

Conn., July 31, 1832. He is the son of Daniel and Harriet Avcrill Brewster. 

v| His grandfather, Daniel Brewster, Sr., was born in 1730, at Preston, Conn., 

and was the great-grandson of Jonathan Brewster, eldest son of ' ' Elder 

William Brewster," the "Chief of the Pilgrims." 

Few, indeed none, of his contemporary statesmen can boast of a more distinguished and 
heroic ancestor. William Brewster was born of an ancient family, educated at the 
University of Cambridge, acquainted with the splendid court of Queen Elizabeth, and 
conversant with public affairs. He was the intimate and confidential servant and friend of 
William Davison, the trusted secretary of the sovereign ; and when his patron was di.sgraced 
and wickedly imprisoned in the Tower of London, Brewster "remained with him, rendering 
many faithful offices of service in the time of his troubles." Two years after the fall of 
Davison, Brewster — who was then about twenty-three years of age — went to reside with 
his father at the stately old manor-house of Scroob}-, near the northern boundary of Notting- 
hamshire. There he acted for his infrrni old father, who held an office in the service of 
the Queen. Five years after that he was himself the postmaster at Scrooby, and lived "in 
good esteem among his friends and the gentlemen of those parts, especially the godly and 
religious." He was an earnest, godly man, had accepted Puritan views at the university, 
and did nuich for the promotion of religion in his own locality. He was especially active 
in securing the services of good preachers, and earned the praise that Paul gave to some of 
his converts, by giving beyond the measure of his ability for their support. 

In 161 7, the Pilgrims discussed the project of removal to the new world, and, in 1618, 
Brewster and Cushman secretly repaired to London to negotiate in behalf of the church 
with the Virginia company. In 1619, it was decided that the pioneers in the daring enter- 
prise should be accompanied by Ruling-Elder Brewster, the pastor's colleague in the o\ersight 
of the flock, (jn July 22, 1620, the pioneer Pilgrims embarked on board the "Speedwell," 
at Delft-Haven, for Southampton, in their native land ; whence they were to sail for 
America. The "Speedwell" was a minute vessel of onl}' sixty tons, and was designed to 
serve as a tender to the " Mayflower," a .ship of a hundred and eighty tons. On the fifteenth 
of August, 1620, the two insignificant vessels .sailed from Southampton with a hundred and 
twenty pa.s.sengers, and all the material needful for fotinding a colony in the wilderness. It 
was a "day of small things" for the Pilgrims. But in those small things were the germs 
of mighty religious and political revolutions that were to change the face of Christendom, 
and hasten the evangelization of the human race. 

On board the " lMa\flower " the church worshipped under the presidency of its teaching 
and ruling elder, William Brew.ster; and at Christmas landed on Plymouth Rock — the 
American Mecca. In the privations, hardships, sicknesses, and deaths which followed dis- 



388 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

embarkation, William Brewster proved himself to be a true follower of the Lord, who 
washed His disciples' feet. Gravest and stateliest of all his compan\-, Elder Brewster was 
revered and loved by all who knew hiui. In 1623, he was rejoined by two of his daughters, 
who had been left behind in Holland. For nine years he was practically the pastor as 
well as the teacher of "the church in the wilderness." When he died it was in green and 
flourishing age, full of honors, and enriched by the reverence, love, and trust of multitudes 
in both hemispheres. It is not too much to add that W^illiam Brewster's head and heart 
have impressed their characteristics upon the American people as profoundly, perhaps, 
though not as visibly, as those of George Washington. 

It w-as with strictest propriety that the descendant of the old Cambridge University 
student was destined to receive a liberal education. L}"man D. Brewster was fitted for 
college — chiefiy at Williams Acadeni}-, in vStockbridge, Mass. In 1851, he entered the 
freshman class at Yale, and graduated from that venerable institution in 1855. He was 
the poet of his class. Subsequent to graduation, he studied law under the direction of the 
Hon. Roger Averill, at Danbury, Conn., and was admitted to the bar on the twenty-first of 
January, 1858. There he soon rose to the dignity and influence of a leading member, and 
became the first judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Fairfield County — holding the 
office with credit and distinction from 1870 to 1874. He has also interested himself in all 
public matters germane to the best interests of his neighborhood. He has served as judge 
of probate, school visitor of Danbury for sixteen years, and also as one of the directors of 
the Danbury Savings Bank. 

In 1870, and again in 1878 and 1879, Judge Brewster was elected to the lower house 
of the Connecticut legislature. In 1878, he was an influential member of the judiciary 
committee, on which he served with Governor Andrews ; and, in 1879, was on the same com- 
mittee in company with Hon. Henry C. Robinson of Hartford. During the session of 1878, 
he was chairman on the part of the House of the committee on state expenditures, and 
also of the committee on constitutional amendments. He also effectively advocated various 
important measures, including the repeal of the "omnibus" clause in the divorce law. 
In the same year he was appointed by Governor Hubbard a member of the commission 
for revising the civil procedure code. When the report of the commission was presented 
in the session of 1879, Mr. Brewster bore an active part in the two days' debate which 
ended in its adoption, and also in the subsequent work of the commission in preparing 
new forms and rules of practice under it. The result of the work of the two years was 
the adoption by the legislature of the " Practice Act " and " Book of Forms," which 
placed Connecticut first of the New England states among the so-called " code states " 
of the Union. These have done away with the technical differences in forms of actions 
prevailing under the old common law system. He also, at the opening of this session, secured 
the adoption of a new joint rule, making the committee on engrossed bills a committee 
of correction, to correct all mistakes and report back to the House all defective bills. 
The object of the committee on correction is to prevent imperfect acts from becoming 
laws, until they have been carefully revised and considered by it. The work itself is of 
cardinal importance to careful legislation. 

This is not the only beneficent legislative measure for which the people of Connecticut 
are indebted to Jirdge Brewster. In the House journal of 1870, appears the record of bills 
introduced by him for the economy and protection of labor. One of these, No. 23, pro- 
vides that "every railroad company shall require sufficient security from the contractors for 
the payment of all labor performed in the construction of said road : and such company 
shall be liable to the laborer for labor actually performed on the road." This clause became 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 389 

a law. An act for the prolectioii of labor, No. 88, providing that preferred debts due from 
insolvent estates for labor and services performed, be allowed to the amount of fifty dollars, 
instead of twent^'-five as now provided, also became a law. Twelve bills which passed 
into law, introduced by him in 1878, greatly reduced the expenses of the state. 

In November, 1S79, Judge Brewster was elected by the Republican party to the state 
Senate from the Eleventh District, by a majority of 315. His victory was all the more 
flattering because the district had been carried by the Democrats since 1865 ; and further, 
because the hatters, who constitute a considerable fraction of the voters in Danbury, voted 
largely for him, without reference to party, in view of his advocacy, in the previous session 
of the legislature, of a state commission to examine into the feasibility of regulating prison 
labor, so that it shall not injuriously affect outside laborers. In the session of 1880, he 
again served on the judiciary committee, but in the capacity of chairman. 

Since the close of his judicial and legislative terms, the most noticeable event in his 
professional history has been his connection with the Tilden will case. As one of the 
counsel for the heirs, Mr. Brewster spent a liberal share of four years' time investigating 
the merits of the case and preparing briefs. It was an exceedingly intricate affair, with 
wide-spread ramifications, and it gave him an excellent opportunity for legal research. 
Mr. Brewster is a member of the American Bar Association, and several }-ears has been 
chairman of the committee on uniform state laws. At Danbury he has been interested 
in public matters in a marked degree, and in addition to official stations previously mentioned, 
he has been chairman of the book committee in the Danbury Library since it started, 
about 1869. 

Hitherto, on common testimony. Senator Brewster has maintained a character for purity, 
public spirit, ability and useful service in strict harmony with the reputation of that heroic 
and godly Pilgrim leader whose memory cannot die, and whose fame will be greener and 
more luxuriant as the centuries roll onward into eternity. As a politician Mr. Brewster 
has never stood in with the "heelers," or run with the "machine" men. In public 
life he has displayed the qualities of an honest and public spirited citizen. He is one 
of the best known members of the bar of the state, serving often on important committees 
and is a gentleman of very pleasant manners. 

In 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Amelia Ives, daughter of George W. Ives 
of Danbury. 




^XURNER, EDWARD THOMAS, a prominent citizen of Waterbury, late president 
iv*^; *^^ ^^^ Fourth National Bank of that city, late representative of the fifth sena- 
M^n torial district in the state Senate, and distinguished in mercantile circles as 
^ t^^ ^ leading business man of the Naugatuck Valley, was born in the town of Litch- 
field, Litchfield County, Conn., March 21, 1835, and died at his home in 
Waterbury, Dec. 2, 1891. His father, Eber Turner, who died at Litchfield, in 1857, aged 
seventy-five years, was a native of the same town, and a farmer by occupation. His 
mother, Malita Wilmot Turner, was a daughter of Asa Wilmot of Woodbridge. She also 
reached the mature age of seventy-five years, dying at Litchfield, in 1863. 

The subject of this sketch was brought up on the paternal farm, and had the usual 
opportunities for obtaining an English education enjoyed by farmer's sons in the section 
in which he lived. At an early age he was apprenticed to the shoe trade, but in his 
later youth followed farming. When of age he engaged in business in a small way on 

50 



390 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

his own account, at Plainville, Conn., carrying on what is known as a general store. In 
1863, having acquired sui^cient capital to warrant his engaging in a larger enterprise, he 
removed to Waterbiir}-, and, in partnership with IMr. William Newton, opened a dr}--goods 
store there. In 1864, the firm of Newton & Turner was dissolved, Mr. Newton retiring. 
Mr. Turner continued the business alone until 1883, when he admitted Mr. H. A. Skid- 
more as partner, the firm then becoming Turner & Co. In 1890, his onl}- son, Mr. Charles 
E. Turner, was given an interest in the business, the firm then adopting the name of E. 
T. Turner & Co. 

In the selection of Waterbury as a promising location in which to start a large dry-goods 
business, says the "Biography of Connecticut," ?vlr. Turner displayed rare perspicacity. At 
the time he opened his store the town had a population of about eight thousand, and was 
already a flourishing manufacturing centre. Its business men were among the most pro- 
gressive in the state, and neglected no opportunities for advancing the interests of their 
town. The place itself possessed man)- natural advantages which attracted outside capital, 
and this, together with the enterprising character of its people as a whole, made its 
development rapid, and placed its prosperity on a substantial basis. Probably no town of 
its size in the Eastern states derived more solid advantages from the phenomenal increase 
in general business which followed the termination of the Civil War. But the notable 
increase which has taken place in its trade, wealth and population, has not been the 
result of accident. Men of courage, enterprise and ability toiled unceasingly to effect it, 
and prominent among them from the day he set foot in the town, was Mr. E. T. Turner. 

Beginning within his own domain of enterprise he pushed his business with so much 
intelligence and energy that in a short time it stood at the head of the dry-goods trade 
of Waterbury. A wholesale department was finally added to the business, and many 
smaller concerns in the same line of trade, both in Waterbury and the surrounding country, 
drew no inconsiderable portion of their supplies from the firm. Good judgment in buying, 
and the command of sufficient capital, enabled the firm to hold and increase its trade 
despite all competition, so that to-day, its customers, both wholesale and retail, may be 
found throughout the length and breadth of the Naugatuck Valley. In evers' part of this 
territory, as well as in Waterbury, the name of j\Ir. Turner is synonymous with honesty and 
fair dealing. He won his bitsiness successes by legitimate means, and the ample fortune 
which he enjoyed was the outcome of his applied brains and energy. The extensive busi- 
ness of the house of which he was the head, has been carried on for many years in the 
commodious and central quarters at 38, 40 and 42 Bank street. The establishment is the 
largest and finest in the city, and probably has no superior between New York and Boston. 

Mr. Turner's excellent judgment in financial matters led to his being chosen a member 
of the board of directors of the Manufacturers' Bank of Waterbury. He resigned this position, 
after holding it several years, in order to accept the presidency of the Fourth National Bank 
of Waterbury, one of the most flourishing institutions of its class in the state. This position 
he held until he died. Notwithstanding his apparent absorption in business affairs, Mr. 
Turner found ample time in which to ser\-e his fellow citizens in a public capacity. As a 
member of the Common Council of the city, in 1886, he was earnest and persevering in 
instituting and promoting many measures of great public utility. At a later period, as fire 
and water commissioner of the city, he helped to bring this department to a high degree of 
excellence. In 1884 and 1885, he represented the fifth senatorial district in the state Senate, 
serving during the entire term as chairman of the committee on banks and banking, and, 
during 1885, as chairman of the committee on military affairs. An examination of his record 
in the Senate shows that he was one of the most painstaking and intelligent members of 




(^^ 




-^^l' 




Chicago 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 



391 



that body. His labors in committee were performed with zeal and discretion, and it is 
known that in his capacity as chairman he never reported a bill that was not passed. 
Althongh a Repnblican in politics and the nominee of the Repnblican party, he was elected 
to the Senate in a district strongly Democratic, a substantial attestation of the general confi- 
dence reposed in his integrity and abilit)-. 

To enumerate in detail all the public movements in Waterbury in which he took an 
active part, would be to mention nearly every one of any importance .set on foot while he 
was a resident of the city. One of the most important was the introduction of the street- 
railroad system into the city, a movement in which he took the initiative, and which he 
was successful in carrying forward over every opposition. The lapse of but a short time 
was sufficient to prove the wisdom of his enthusiastic labors to secure this result. He was 
also one of the pioneers in promoting the introduction of the electric light system in Water- 
bury. Mr. Turner was one of those progressive citizens who believe in adopting and apply- 
ing the marvelous inventions and discoveries made by science, perceiving their advantages 
long before they begin to appeal to the general public. His prevision frequently arrayed 
him for a time against the unthinking majority, but he was so diligent and earnest in 
explaining the benefits and advantages of whatever project he advanced or upheld, that in 
the end he invariably succeeded in breaking down all rational opposition, and in carrying 
his point. It happened more than once that what was at first opposed as a more or less 
selfish enterprise was finally enthusiastically supported as a work of immediate public neces- 
sity. It ma}- be said to his credit that ]Mr. Turner was never mixed up in any jobs or 
dubious schemes. His work was always open and above board ; and in no single instance 
did he aid or abet any but the most useful enterprises. His most striking characteristic was 
a restless energy, which, when once enlisted in favor of a project, laothing could arrest save 
success. To this energy, so honorably exercised, the people of Waterbur)' are hea\'ily 
indebted, and it is doubtful if there was any man in the city who was more sincerely 
respected, or whose labors received more grateful acknowledgment. 

Mr. Turner was married in 1856, to Miss Jane E. Hubbard, daughter of Jesse Hubbard 
of Watertown, who with two children, Charles E. and Edith J., survive him. The son con- 
tinues the business interests he left. The daughter is the wife of George A. Ailing of New 
Haven, Conn. 




ORGAN, DANIEL NASH, treasurer of the United States, was born in Newtown, 
Fairfield County, Conn., Aug. 18, 1844. The ^lorgan family is one of the 
most ancient in Wales, and the ancestors of the subject of this sketch came 
from that countrv' to America in pre-Revolutionary times. Some of them 
established themselves at Springfield, Mass., and others at New London, Conn. 
The , first of the name known to have lived in Norwich, Conn., in 1700, was Peter 
Morgan. His son was Capt. Zedekiah Morgan, who settlegl in Newtown, and in the days 
of the Revolution, owned a si.v hundred and ninetj- acre tract of land at Hopewell, where 
large numbers of cavalrymen and horses were quartered during one winter of that struggle, 
and which is still known as the Morgan farm. He was one of the worthies of the town, 
and, although jeopardizing a large property by his action, entered heart and soul into the 
cause of American independence and lived to witness its triumph. His descendants inter- 
married with the Sanford family of Redding, and the Nash and Camp families of Norwalk. 
The Morgans are a sturd\' race and among other characteristics seem to be noted for 



392 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

their longevit}'. The four grand-parents of Daniel Nash Morgan reached the great ages, 
respectively, of eighty-four, ninety, ninety-six and eight}' years. Hezekiah Morgan, his 
grandfather, was a farmer in Redding, Conn., and his father, Ezra IMorgan, a native of that 
town, was one of the most prominent public men in that part of the state. He represented 
Newtown in the state legislature for several sessions and was a life-long merchant and 
farmer. He was president of the Hatters' Bank of Bethel several years, and held other 
official positions of honor, trust and responsibility. Mr. IMorgan married Hannah Nash, 
daughter of Daniel Nash of Westport, who was noted as an able financier. ]\Ir. Morgan 
had eight children. 

His eldest son, Daniel Nash Morgan, was a bright and energetic boy, and after he had 
obtained a sound training in the English branches at the local public schools he decided 
upon a business career and, at the age of sixteen years, took a clerkship in his father's 
store at Newtown, at his own request being placed on the footing of a stranger, thus 
receiving, during the first five years of his sen.-ice, only the compensation then usually paid 
to young men learning the business, viz., fifty dollars for the first year, sixty for the 
second, seventy-five for the third, eighty-five for the fourth and one hundred for the fifth 
year. Out of this meagre income he paid all his expenses excepting board, and upon arriving 
at the age of twenty-one found himself the happy possessor of fifty dollars, which had been 
saved from his earnings. His ambition and energy even at this early period of his life were 
marked. The first year after serving his apprenticeship he managed his father's store as 
proprietor. He then spent several months as clerk in the dry goods house of Taylor &: Joyce 
of Bridgeport, whose employment he left in order to become a member of the firm of Morgan 
& Booth of Newtown Centre, which did a large, thriving business. Three years afterwards, in 
September, 1869, this firm was dissolved by mutual agreement and Mr. Morgan removed to 
Bridgeport, where he became associated with ]Mr. Ezekial Birdsey, 2d, in the dry goods and 
carpet business, the style of the firm being Birdsey & Morgan. 

In 1879, this partnership was dissolved and Mr. Morgan became the sole proprietor of 
the spacious quarters on the principal street of Bridgeport, and it was a leading house in the 
dry goods and carpet business in that thriving city. He sold out the business Jan. i, 1880, 
to devote all his time to banking. As a merchant, ]\Ir. Morgan developed qualities of the 
highest order. Bred to business under the eye and direction of his father, a man of great 
activity and sterling probity, he had spent years in mastering the details of commercial 
transactions before permitting himself to act in them as a principal. When he took the 
higher position he was well qualified to fill it, and his efforts were successful from the begin- 
ning. To remarkable energy and business capacity he added a ready grasp of modern methods 
of building up trade and increasing the reputation of his house. He was quick to comprehend 
the needs of the community which he supplied, and was willing to furnish the most desirable 
and seasonable goods, even though in doing this his profits on the individual transactions were 
smaller. In this way the house with which he was connected became a leading one in 
its department ; and its trade was drawn from an area far greater than that of the city in which 
it was situated. 

In 1876, in order to obtain personal knowledge of the eastern countries, and to secure 
a change from so close an application to business for many A-ears, he made a trip to Europe, 
and while abroad availed himself of every opportunity to broaden his knowledge, not only of 
business but of affairs in general. His sojourn in Great Britain and on the continent was thus 
an educational tour, and being more prolonged and extensive than those usually taken by 
business men, afforded him an opportunity to become acquainted with the social as well as 
the business life of the several countries he visited. In the year of 1877, he was the senior 
partner of Morgan, Hopson & Company, wholesale grocers. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 393 

About this time Mr. Morgan became interested in politics, and although he has uniformly 
adopted the polic\- of never seeking an office or position of any character, yet political honors 
have been showered upon him. He is very popular in the rank and file of the Democratic 
party, and has also a large Republican following. In 1873, his fellow citizens, appreciating 
his worth, elected him to the Common Council of Bridgeport and reelected him in the following 
year. In 1877, he served as a member of the Board of Education. In 18S0, he was the choice 
of the people for the office of mayor of Bridgeport, and filled that position with signal ability. 
In 1882, he was elected to the state legislature on the Democratic ticket by a phenomenal 
majority, and, as in his canvass for the mayoralty, he received many votes from members of 
the opposition parties. In 1884, he was a second time chosen by a large majority mayor of 
Bridgeport. His second administration, like his first, was marked by vigorous efforts to 
advance the welfare of the city, and was especially fruitful in bringing business methods to 
bear in the transaction of public business, a rigid but wise economy being enforced so far 
as practicable and advisable, and the interest of the taxpayers faithfully guarded, while 
no injustice was done to any of the city's inhabitants. During his second term as chief 
magistrate of the city, he was elected state senator from the fourteenth district, and served as 
such during the j-ears 1885 and 1886. In November, 1892, he was again elected to the state 
Senate by the phenomenal majority of 1755, which is larger than ever given in the history of 
Bridgeport for a mayor, representative or senator. In the Senate he was a member of 
important committees, and rendered valuable services both to the district and to the state. 
' ' In ever}- office he has been called upon to fill , " says the New York Graphic, in com- 
menting upon his political career, "he has shown his worth and has performed his duties 
in a manner that has won commendation from political opponents as well as friends." 

Mr. ^Morgan's prominence in the financial world began in January, 1879, when he 
was elected to the presidency of the City National Bank of Bridgeport. In the year 1878, 
he was chosen trustee, and later vice-president and president of the Mechanics' and Farmers' 
Savings Bank. His labors in connection with this institution have been noteworthy, and 
that its assets have risen in fifteen years from $27,000 to nearly $1,500,000, is in no small 
degree due to his influence and able management. He has been president of this institution 
since 1888. In addition to these important financial positions, Mr. Morgan fills, or has filled, 
several others of scarcely inferior moment. One of these was that of vice-president and chair- 
man of the executive committee of the Consolidated Rolling Stock Company. It was a position 
of great responsibility, the company's property consisting of more than five thousand freight 
cars. The capital of this corporation is about four million dollars, and it has paid more 
than a million dollars in dividends since its re-organization in 1886. He is interested also 
to a greater or lesser degree in several manufactories and industries centering in that city. 

Mr. ^Morgan is a believer in the Episcopal faith, and a regular attendant at Trinity 
church, of which he was parish clerk thirteen years, and was senior warden for a number 
of years. He took a warm interest in the Young Men's Christian Association, of which 
he was a director, and as a member of the building committee of this organization devoted 
a great deal of time with others to superintending the construction of the new headquarters 
erected on Main street, at a cost of more than one hundred thousand dollars. The Bridge- 
port Hospital has likewise claimed his efforts and services in securing funds as a member 
of the building committee. For years he was one of the executive committee, and vice- 
president, and since 1890, has been president of that noble institution. In all works for 
the good of the city or its people he is ever ready to aid, and his gifts to the poor and needy 
are said to constitute no small part of his expenditures. It is not too much to say that 
IMr. r^Iorgan enjoys the confidence of the great body of his fellow-citizens. He has never 



394 REPRESENTATHE MEN 

run for office without this fact being proven through the large number of votes he receives 
from persons of opposing political faiths. His residence on Washington avenue is one of 
the pleasant and inviting homes in the city, and it has been one of his special delights 
to fill it with whatever would have a tendency to increase its comforts and attractions. 

For many j-ears he has been affiliated with the Masonic order, and for two terms was 
Master of Corinthian Lodge, F. & A. ]\I., one of the principal lodges in Bridgeport. He 
is likewise a member of Hamilton Commandery, No. 5, Knights Templar, of Pyramid 
Temple, M. S., and of Pequonnock Lodge, No. 4, L O. O. F. He is serving on the execu- 
tive committee of Bridgeport Scientific Society, and is a member of the Bridgeport His- 
torical Societv, and of the Bridgeport Board of Trade, and holds a directorship in the Wheeler 
& Wilson Manufacturing Company. When a branch of the society of the Sons of the Revolu- 
tion organized in this state in the summer of 1893, it elected Mr. Morgan vice-president, which 
honor he now holds. The City National Bank of which he was president fifteen years has' 
a capital of $250,000, and was eminently successful during his administration of its affairs, 
paying eight per cent, dividends during the period named, and adding $160,000 to the surplus 
account. Mr. Morgan resigned the presidency and directorship of the bank, and also as 
senator of the state of Connecticut, the latter part of May, 1893, to assume the duties of 
United States treasurer, June i, 1893. Incidental to his retirement from the state Senate 
was a most magnanimous and probably unparalleled act of courtesj- on the part of the 
Republican side of the chamber, who, appreciating the distinguished honor conferred upon 
the state, and esteeming their colleague highly, and appreciating the high honor conferred 
upon him, agreed to pair, when it was desired, one of their number with Mr. Morgan, 
even after he had resigned, until the end of the session, thus absolving themselves of the 
majority they would have gained, as the Senate had been equally divided. This pair 
continued a month after ^Ir. Morgan resigned. 

When President Cleveland appointed Mr. Morgan treasurer of the United States, 
April II, 1893, the Senate confirming him April 15, 1893, the press of Connecticut, regardless 
of their political ^-icws, and prominent men of both parties, were unstinted in their praise 
of his selection of the well-known financier for a position of such great responsibility. 
On assuming the duties of the office, June i, 1893, he became responsible for the vast 
sum of $740,817,419.78, and gave receipts therefor, when the coin, currency and securi- 
ties were counted, a piece of intricate work which required three months' time. The con- 
dition of the national finances has demanded careful application, and while one of the busiest 
officers of the government, he is one of the most thoroughly reliable of the nation's officials. 

A few especially pertinent quotations from the various newspaper comments are given 
as indicative of the tone of the whole. The first is from Dickerman's United States 
Treasury Coimierjeit Detector : 

The appointment of the Hon. Daniel N- Morgan of Bridgeport, Couu., as treasurer of the United States, is 
one which we believe to be in every way commendable. We confess to a sympathy with the sentiments of the 
" .Autocrat of the Breakfast Table," which found expression in the confession of a stronger regard for the individual 
with a family before him than for the one without. That is, while the self-made man may be all well enough, 
the man with a century or two of polishing and molding back of him, all other things being equal, is the better 
of the two. Treasurer Morgan is not only a financier, but the son and grandson of financiers. He comes of an 
old and influential Connecticut family, and has been trained both as a business man and banker and as a man of 
public affairs. 

When a very young man, he became interested in politics, and positions of honor and trust have been 
thrust upon him without his seeking. While a Democrat in politics, he has a large following among Repub- 
licans, because of his freedom from all political chicanery. 

Mr. Morgan was still serving in the state Senate of Connecticut when appointed United States treasurer. 
He entered upon the duties of the latter position while the legislature remained in session. Mr. Morgan's 
qualification for his new office no one disputes, and his appointment caused general satisfaction in Bridgeport, 
where everybody knows him. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 395 

Another is from a Washington letter published in the Nezv Haven Journal and Courier : 

Of the office holders here probably Hon. Daniel N. Morgan of Bridgeport, United States treasurer, while of 
exceedingly dignified appearance, is the best liked and most respected of men. He was one of Bridgeport's leading 
citizens and financial giants. He is always courteons and pleasing to all, while at the same time attending strictly 
to his duties. He is making one of the best treasurers, from all standpoints, that the United States has ever had. 
Treasurer Jlorgan returned late last week from Bridgeport, where he had been called by the illness of Mrs. 
Morgan, who is improving, I understand. 

Upon his return he brought with him a beautiful volume, 1)ound in white kid. and enclosed in a handsome 
case of blue and white. The volume is in the nature of a testimonial and embodies the resolutions adopted at a 
recent meeting by the City National Bank of Bridgeport relative to the resignation of Mr. Morgan as president 
of the bank. The resolution is all engrossed by hand and signed by the directors of the bank, all prominent men, 
and some of whom have national reputations. Treasurer Morgan is ably assisted in his duties by Private Secretar)' 
Charles G. Watson, one of Bridgeport's brightest young men, who was a reporter on the Evening Parmer four 
years. 

The comment of the N'ezf Haven A^ezos was : 

Senator Morgan's appointment as treasurer of the United States is not on!}- the choice of a competent man 
for an important post, the duties of which, under present circumstances, will demand great tact and discretion, 
but a merited recognition of the valuable services he himself has rendered in Connecticut politics. Mr. Morgan 
accepted the nomination for mayor of Bridgeport when there was little hope of success, and w-hen an election 
■would have brought him no new honors, for he had al read)' filled the position with distinction. Others hung back 
from leading a forlorn hope, and he promptly responded to a call of his part)', and made a handsome run. Mr. 
Morgan was one of the founders of the State Democratic Club, and is now its vice-president. The Senate will lose 
in him one of its best members. 

The Meriden Republican was sure nothing but good could com; from the nomination. 

It said : 

It is a pleasure for the Republican to join its contemporaries in commending the selection of the Hon. D. N. 
Morgan of Bridgeport to be United States treasurer. Senator Morgan is a gentleman of the Democratic first class, 
highly respected and often honored by his townsmen, with wide and honorable experience in legi.slative, financial 
and general business lines. He takes with him to his high position of trust and responsibility the respect and 
confidence of his fellow citizens. 

Mr. Morgan was married on June 10, 1868, to I\Iiss Medora Huganin Judson, daughter 
of the late Hon. William A. Judson of Bridgeport, but formerly of Huntingdon, Conn., 
who was a member of the legislature four times, a state senator, besides holding many 
other positions of honor and trust. He was a grandson of Col. Agur Judson, one of the 
celebrities of the Revolutionary- epoch, and a descendant of William Judson, who settled 
with his family in Stratford in 1638. Their children now living are Mary Huntington 
Morgan and William Judson ?Iorgan. 



7-^xS.-'-iAY, CALVIN, of Hartford, a leading merchant of the citv, was born in West- 
pif'^lA \^ field, ]\Iass., Feb. 26, 1803, and died June 10, 1884. He was a descendant in 
? - '/ h ^''^ sixth generation from Robert Day, one of the first settlers of Hartford , 
"S^yf^-l through his son Thomas, who removed to Springfield, Mass., and was the 
ancestor of the family in that state. His father, Ambrose Day, was a substan- 
tial farmer, owning and occupying from early manhood, a pleasantly situated farm, lying 
about three miles from the village of Westfield. Much respected by his neighbors for 
his kindly disposition, integrity, and good sense, he was for many years one of the select- 
men of the town. He died in 1858, at the age of eighty-five years, his wife, nde INIary 
Ely, having preceded him in 1838. 

Calvin Day, fifth child of Ambrose and 'Wzxy Day, received his education in the dis- 
trict school and later at the Westfield Academy, which still flourishes, and was then noted 
among the higher educational institutions of Western Massachusetts. The pleasant life at 
the Westfield Academy was a favorite reminiscence in after years. 



396 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

He removed to Hartford when a young mon, and entered into business. Mr. Day 
appreciated the importance of Hartford at that time as a dry goods trade centre. Western 
merchants then came East to buy, and this city was a central point near to the factories, 
and an advantageous place for handling goods. Drummers were nearly unknown, but Mr. 
Day, early in his wholesale trade, adopted the plan of sending e.xperienced men to the 
western countr\- to invite dealers to come here. He formed with his brother Albert, the 
wholesale firm of A. & C. Day, and opened a warehouse on the present site of the Cheney 
block. Eventually, ^Ir. Day formed a partnership with the late E. H. Owen, under the 
firm name of Day, Owen & Compan\-, and removed to Asylum street. IMr. Day subsequently 
bought the site opposite the Allyn house, erected the present building and moved into it. 
He continued with the firm until about 1862, when, having accumulated a handsome for- 
tune, he retired. A few energetic and capable firms in Hartford in those years, conducted 
a very large business of this kind, and made the small citv, in spite of its possession- of 
few or no special natural advantages for such a trade, a quite widely known and important 
centre of distribution. Among those firms it is safe to say that none stood higher for 
ability, energy and integrit}- than that of Day, Owen & Company, throughout its long 
existence. He was a director in the Hartford Bank for forty years, and was a director in the 
Hartford Fire Insurance Company. His connections with other corporations were numerous. 
He was a director in the Landers, Frary & Clark Company, and the American Hosiery Company 
of New Britain, and the Agawam Canal Company, Springfield, president of the American Mill 
in Rockville, a director in the Watkinson Library, president of the board of trustees of the 
American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, and a director in the Insane Retreat. For several 
jears he was a director, and later one of the tnistees of the old Hartford, Providence S: Fishkill 
Road, retiring when the road passed into the hands of the New York & New England Railroad 
Company. His faith in the road was full, and it is due to his efforts that the word Fish- 
kill was put into the charter name. He was confident the road would reach the Hudson. 

While seldom taking an active part in politics, and having no desire for office, Mr. 
Day was always a valued and efficient worker for his political party. He was an old-fashioned 
Jackson Democrat in early life, and was one of the first twelve men in Hartford who voted 
for Andrew Jackson, when to vote for "Old Hickor}- " in Connecticut was far from being 
a popular act. He was a consistent Democrat down to the time of the election of Frank- 
lin Pierce. The attempt to repeal the Missouri Compromise disgusted him with the party, 
and he, with D. F. Robinson, Mark Howard, J. R. Hawley, J. F. Morris, Gideon Welles, 
J. M. Niles and others formed the nucleus of the Republican party of Hartford, numerous 
other Democrats following the lead of such influential men as Messrs. Daj-, Welles and Niles. 
These Republican pioneers met one night in the upper room of Col. George P. Bissell's 
banking office, and prepared the first Republican address to the voters of the state. This 
was just prior to the nomination of Fremont. After that time Mr. Day was a sturdy Repub- 
lican and took part in putting the Evening Press on its feet. During the war he was an 
active worker, and contributed liberally from his means in fitting out troops. He was a 
valued adviser of Connecticut's great war governor — William A. Buckingham — and served 
for many months as chairman of the city committee for raising troops. When engaged in 
this patriotic work he gave largely of his time, regardless of his pressing business interests. 
At this time, or afterward, he never wanted nor would he accept office, but if any com- 
mittee or other work was to be done, his services could always be relied on. But once did 
he accept a nomination, and that was for the state senatorship in the Hartford district, at a 
time when the district was so strongly Democratic that his defeat as a Republican candidate 
was a certaintv. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1S94. 397 

His military title as "Major," came from his command, from 1833 to 1835, of the old 
Governor's Foot Guard. Major Day had in him a good deal of the true military quality of 
the better sort. It showed itself in his erect carriage and high bearing, even down to the 
day of his death. He enlisted as a private in the Foot Guard in 1823, and rose bv suc- 
cessive degrees of promotion up to the chief command of that fine and showy old corps 

which is older than the battle of Bunker Hill. He was major-commandant when, in June, 
1833, occurred the great display in honor of President Jackson's visit to Hartford — as 
proud a day as the major ever saw. 

Mr. Day's time and abilities, his remarkable vigor of mind and body, were not, how- 
ever, devoted wholly to his own affairs. In everything that commended itself to his judp-- 
ment, as tending to promote the moral or material welfare of the communit}- in which he 
lived, or of his fellow men, he felt a deep and intelligent interest, and in such matters as 
came within his sphere of action he was among the foremost workers. He was felt as an 
active power for good in the leading local institutions formed for benevolent purposes ; and 
organizations of wider scope, for promoting in this coimtry and abroad educational and 
religious interests, likewise found in him a strong supporter and a liberal friend. It was 
noticeable that whenever he took part in associations or gatherings of men of affairs, he 
was recognized by the best among them as a leader, by reason of his force of character, the 
soundness and penetration of his judgment, and his integrity, public spirit, fidelity to his 
associates and steadfastness of purpose. 

Calvin Day married Catherine Seymour, daughter of the late Charles Seymour of Hart- 
ford. Their married life extended over a period of nearly fifty-seven years, and a union 
has seldom been blessed with more of domestic happiness, or with more entire sympathy' 
of tastes, beliefs and affections. Mr. Day's strict sense of duty imparted no tinge of morose- 
ness or gloom to his character, and the same traits which had made him respected and loved 
in all the other relations of life, could not fail to endear him, in an eminent degree, as a 
hu.sband and father. The tone of domestic life was heightened by hospitality and b}- travel 
at home and abroad. There were four children, all of whom survive their parents. The 
four children are: Julia S., wife of Col. George P. Bissell ; Mr. John C. Day, Miss Caroline 
E. Day, and Kate, wife of Joseph C. Jackson, lawyer, of New York city. 

The Hartford Courant closed a beautiful tribute to his memory with the followiuf 
description of his personal appearance : ' ' Major Day was a gentleman of striking personal 
appearance. He was of medium height, but even in his old age had, until within the last 
two years, every indication of strength and vigor — a straight frame and an elastic and active 
step. He had always a smooth-shaved face, never wearing whiskers, and his full head of 
hair was a beautiful silver)' gray. He always carried a cane, but it was generally tucked 
under his arnr and seldom touched the ground. It never seemed to occur to him that a 
man of eighty needed it to lean upon. To see him, even once, upon the street, was to 
receive an indelible impression of the dignitj' and power that were in him." 

Numerous resohitions of respect were passed at the time of his death bv the various 
corporations and institutions with which he was connected, but perhaps those of the directors 
of the Retreat for the Insane were the most comprehensive and will voice the sentiments 
of the rest : 

In the death of the Hou. Calvin Day, which occurred on the loth day of June, 1884, at the advanced age of eighty- 
one years, the city has lost one of its most distinguished and respected citizens, whose presence upon our streets, in 
our places of business, and in our religious, educational, charitable and patriotic assemblies has for all these 
years marked him as a man to be depended upon ; as the man whose influence and voice would be always for 
good order, and for the advancement and promotion of the great and controlling interest of the city of his adoption, 
and whose great purpose was to secure the moral and material interests and advancement of his fellows. The 

SI 



398 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

record of his life is impressed upou the city iu which he lived ; upon the church of which he was a most exemplary 
and consistent member; upon the extensive industrial and business enterprises -which have distinguished the 
city and which, to no small extent, have been promoted and made successful through his efforts, persevering 
endeavors and good judgment ; upon the great religious charities of the times, to which he contributed with an 
open hand, upon the benevolent and educational undertakings which give character to Hartford, and are 
exemplified in our schools, our asylums and our Retreat ; and in his successful efforts when a j'oung man to 
secure for the city and its citizens the erection of the Athenaum Building, with the libraries and art collections 
accommodated there. His patriotism and love for the Union led to his selection as a trusted adviser and counselor 
of Governor Buckingham during the dark and most trying and discouraging period of the war, and the work 
he did in that direction is entitled to our grateful remembrance. His integrity of character is seen in his whole 
life, and in the esteem in which he was held in this whole community. Though he had well-settled and decided 
views and opinions of his own and fearlessly gave expression to what he believed to be right and proper, he was 
tolerant and considerate of the views of others. His liberality and large-heartedness is seen in the expenditure 
of his time and money in the advancement of all good and charitable enterprises. For these many years he has 
been an active and efficient member of the board of managers of this Retreat. The benefit of his counsel and 
ju<lgment is seen in the beauty of its grounds and surroundings, and in the comfort and home-like accommodations 
of its halls and rooms. In his death the Retreat has lost an earnest friend and benefactor ; an able counselor and 
its second officer and oldest director, and each member of this board a friend and associate whose memory we shall 
delight to cherish and honor. Jon.\Th.\n B. Bunce, Clerk. 




'ILE, WILLIAM CONRAD, A. M., M. D., of Daiibury, was born in Pleasant 
\'alley, Dutchess County, N. Y., Jan. 23, 1847. He was the son of Rev. Benja- 
~-i niin F. Wile, a noted Presbyterian minister, and Betty Buckley, a lady from 
one of the prominent fanailies of the state. The family, an old Dutch one, 
came originally from Amsterdam. Doctor Wile's mother is of English descent, 
and came from the same stock as Ex-Governor Bulkeley of Connecticut. 

Doctor Wile's early education was acquired under the direction of Rev. Edgar Poe Roe, 
who occupied at the time a prominent place among the teachers of that state, and of whose 
pupils were numbered manv who have gained eminence and reputation. Under this effi- 
cient tutorship, he remained several )-ears, gaining an extensive knowledge and proficiency 
in various branches of learning. When the call was made for troops at the beginning of 
the rebellion, he responded to the urgent demands of the occasion, and became a member 
of Company G, One Hundred and Fiftieth New York Volunteers. He was then in his 
sixteenth year, and his term of service lasted two years and eight months. Gettysburg was 
the frrst real battle in which he was engaged, and he followed Sherman on his march to 
the sea. 

In accordance with a long cherished desire, he began the study of medicine in 1865, 
with Dr. John H. Dwan at Pleasant Valley, N. Y. In 1870, he received his degree of 
M. D. from the medical department of the University of New York. Soon after graduation 
he engaged in the practice of his profession in New Brunswick, N. J., and Highland, N. Y., 
but later he removed to Newtown, Conn. Here Doctor Wile remained for several years, 
occupied with professional work, which was distributed over a large territory, and of which 
surgerj' formed a prominent feature. It was during this period that he conceived the idea 
of founding a medical journal, and the outcome of his thinking took shape in the New 
England Medical Mtmlhly. This publication, by reason of its many distinctive features, 
soon acquired popularit\- and assumed a foremost position among medical journals of the 
day, its circulation in this, its twelfth year of existence, being equalled by few medical 
publications in this country. Two years ago he began the publication of " Prescription," and 
it is proving as great a success in its field as the "Month!)'." 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 399 

Dr. Wile's professional and literar\' attainments were destined to still further and more 
marked recognition. In 18S7, he was tendered the professorship of mental and nervous 
diseases in the IMedico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia, where his success as a practitioner 
and his skill in imparting information rendered him a highly popular and valued teacher. 
The surroundings at the college and the conditions attending city life were not congenial to 
him, and having received urgent inducements to go to Danbury, Conn., he removed to that 
city and has since made it his home. The specialty of surgery has always received greater or 
less attention from him, and by reason of his knowledge of anatomy, and his marked 
mechanical ingenuity, he has made from time to time valuable contribution to this department 
of medicine. His success in nearly all the major operations, as well as in the specialty of 
abdominal surgery, have likewise added to his reputation and given him an extended consulta- 
tion practice throughout the southern portion of the state. He holds the position of medical 
examiner of the town of Danbury, and surgeon of both the Housatonic and New England 
Railroads. 

In the development and welfare of medical organizations of all kinds. Doctor Wile takes 
a deep interest, and this feeling has gained for him an extended acquaintance among members 
of the profession in this country and Europe. The high esteem in wdiicli he is held by his 
contemporaries is evidenced by the numerous official stations to which he has been chosen. He 
has been \-ice-president of the American Medical Association, president of the x\mericau 
Medical Editors' Association, of the Fairfield County Medical Society and of the Danbury 
Medical Society, secretary of the Section of Anatomy at the Ninth International Medical 
Congress. He has been a nrember and delegate to the British Medical Association, and is a 
member of the Medico-Legal Society, the Connecticut State ]\Iedical Society, and in January, 
1894, he was chosen president of the Merchants' Board of Trade of Danbury. ^ 

Doctor Wile is a prolific writer, and has contributed to these societies and to the medi- 
cal publications many important papers upon surgical, medico-legal and other subjects. In 
addition to such work, he is occtrpied with the editorship of the Monthly, and another more 
recent publication, the Prescription, which has already attained a large circulation. His 
literary acquirements, which are of a high order, and his interest in educational matters have 
won for him deserved recognition from the Central College of Kentucky, which has awarded 
him the honorar)^ degree of A.M. The mysteries of the Masonic fraternity find in Doctor 
Wile a faithful exemplar. One of the leading Knight Templars of the state, he is also a 
thirty-second degree Mason. He is a member of other fraternal and business organizations. 

In the social circles of Danbury, and wherever he is known, Dr. Wile is considered a 
valuable acquisition whenever his onerous duties allow him to devote a few hours to his 
friends. Politically, he has always been identified with the Republican party, though never 
an office seeker in any sense of the word. His wide professional knowledge, his keen lit- 
erary acumen and his rare executive abilit}' have won for him a foremost place among his 
medical brethren, and it would seem as if they delighted to do him honor. His many 
attractive qualities of mind and heart have placed him high in the esteem of all who have 
the honor of his acquaintance. Such men give distinction to any position which they are 
called upon to fill, and are a credit to the state in which they live. 

Dr. W. C. Wile was married in 1871, to Eliza Scott Garrison of New York. After a 
dozen j-ears of devoted companionship, she succumbed to disease of the lungs, but she left 
an only daughter who perpetuates her many endearing qualities. In 18S7, he was married 
a second time to Hattie Adele Loomis of New Haven. She is an accomplished lady, and 
dispenses hospitality with a lavish hand. 



400 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

An article in the Medical Mirror, published in 1891, contained the following comment 
regarding Doctor Wile : 

Dr. Wile is a combination with which one rarely meets. He is somewhat of a universal specialist ; possessed 
of a considerable amount of Yankee ingenuity, he has invented several mechanical appliances for the treatment 
of diseases which are worthy of use by the profession. He has contributed largely and well to the literature 
of the profession during the past ten years. About nine years ago he established in Connecticut the New England 
Medical Monthly, in spite of the cautious advice of friends who felt that the undertaking was a risky one, and 
were not fully aware of his great abilities as a journalist. It was not long until he had made a very pronounced 
impression upon the calm and placid sea of medical journalism. From one end of the country to the other it 
was soon evident that the Nen' England Medical Monthly had at its helm a seaman well able to keep the vessel 
in full command. 

His reputation is not confined to America. Among his most intimate friends was the late J. Milner Fother- 
gill, whom the entire medical world knew and honored. Dr. Wile was elected president of the American Medical 
Editors' Association at the meeting held at Cincinnati in 1888; he was also chairman of the committee of arrange- 
ments of the American Medical Editors' Association when the latter entertained the visiting editors from the 
various countries of the world in attendance upon the International Medical Congress at Washington in -1887. 
Dr. Wile's superb executive ability and skill in managing such affairs was here manifested. It was one of the 
grandest meetings that the medical editors ever held, followed by a banquet rarely equalled ; the dining-hall, 
filled with tables decorated in a royal way, with guests gathered from the uttermost parts of the earth ; the 
leading men in medicine, not only as writers and thinkers, but workers as well were there. One may live a 
long life and yet never have an opportunity to be present at such a gathering. The success of this meeting 
and dinner was largely due to Dr. Wile. 




ITCH, SA^tlUEL, of Rockville, manufacturer, was born in Enfield, Conn., Dec. 2, 
1 82 1, and though he has passed the three score and ten allotted to man he is 
still in vigorous health. 

The Fitch family is of French origin. Samuel Fitch, father of the sub- 
ject of this sketch, was a native of Bolton, Conn., but removed to Albion, N. Y., 
and died there. He married Nancy Atwell of ]\Iontville, Conn., and the present Samuel 
was their only child. 

Like most of the )-outh of his time he passed several terms in the district school, his 
education being completed at the academy at Wilbraham, Mass. Until he was twenty-two 
he followed the quiet and healthful life of a farmer, but wishing to see more of the world 
he eno-aged in the sale of merchandise in New England. His trips were frequently extended 
to Canada, where furs were exchanged for other commodities. Wear^-ing of the travel and 
erratic course of living which his business necessitated he settled in West Stafford, and 
rentinw a building he began the manufacture of knit goods. For thirteen years he continued 
at this location and during that time, though he labored diligently and built up an excellent 
reputation for the quality of the goods he produced, the result was not entirely satisfactory. 
His fellow citizens soon learned his many excellent characteristics, and in 1858, and again 
in 1859, he was chosen selectman of the town. 

The growing village of Rockville attracted his attention, and he transferred his business 
to that point. In 1874, Mr. Fitch purchased the site of his present factory, and since that 
date the buildings have been greatly enlarged and improved. Though manufacturing an 
extensive variety of knit goods, there are certain specialties which have given the mill a 
deservedly high reputation. Desiring to perpetuate the name and at the same time 
appreciating the advantages of a corporative existence, the business was regularly incor- 
porated as "Samuel Fitch & Sons Co." With him was associated his son, Spencer S. 
Fitch. To these were added later, George G. Smith, who is now the secretary, and 
Edwin G. Butler. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 401 

Originally an " Old Line Whig," on the organization of the Republican party, Mr. 
Fitch became one of its supporters and has since done all in his power for the success 
of Republican principles. Official stations naturally seek men of his stamp for acceptance. 
The list of local offices he has held would be quite extended. For the years i860, 1861 
and 1877, he represented his town in the state legislature, and during the first two years 
used his utmost endeavors to support the energetic efforts of Governor Buckingham in the 
prosecution of the war. From 1863 to 1869, he was state railroad commissioner. Mr. 
Fitch was one of the incorporators and is a director in the People's Savings Bank of 
Rockville. On the second of December, 1889, being his sixty-eighth birthday, he was 
elected the first mayor of the new city of Rockville for two years. In the administration of 
his office as maj-or he exercised the same kind of business ability which characterizes 
the management of the affairs of his own corporation, and as a consequence his official 
career was a marked success. The same year he was elected mayor he was chosen 
vice-president of the United States Central Railroad Company. 

While he has been building up a successful business of his own, Mr. Fitch has given 
much time and thought to the development of his adopted city. In its material welfare 
he takes a zealous interest, and all movements for the general good of the community 
find in him an active supporter. During the existence of the Second Congregational 
church of Rockville, Mrs. Fitch was a member, and he was a liberal contril)utor to 
its treasury. 

Samuel Fitch was married Jan. 9, 1845, to Mariette, daughter of Daniel Spencer of 
Enfield. Their children are: Spencer S., now associated with his father in business; 
Sarah E., wife of C. H. Strickland, and Fred H., who died in 1875. 




'OOKE, LORRIN A., of Barkhamstead, e.x-lieutenant-governor of Connecticut, 
was born amid the Berkshire hills in New Alarlboro, Mass., April 6, 1831. 
"^yf^'-^r} The Cooke family dates back to an early period in Massachusetts history. 

Hezekiah Cooke, the first known of the name, settled in New Marlboro, at a 
date it is impossible to fix. His son, Solomon, had a son, Solomon, Jr., and 
the latter was a faithful soldier in the Revolutionary army. Lewis, son of the second 
Solomon, was a captain in the Massachusetts state militia, before his removal to Chenango 
County, N. Y., early in its history. He took his son, Levi, then but a lad, and brought him 
up amid the roughness of a pioneer experience. A few years' experience satisfied him that 
life in the east was preferable. Levi Cooke married Amelia Todd in 1829, and in 1837 he 
removed to the adjoining town of Norfolk, and six years later he again changed his residence 
to Colebrook. Here, after having spent an honorable career as a farmer, citizen and 
neighbor, he died in May, 1871, while ser\-ing as a member of the House of Representatives. 
Mrs. Cooke died in 1889, aged eighty-seven. Lorrin A. was the only child of Levi and 
Amelia Cooke. 

Receiving his education in the common schools and Norfolk Academy, his early man- 
hood was passed teaching school in the winter and tilling the soil during the summer 
season. He had a rare faculty of imparting knowledge, which is the first element of a 
successful teacher, and was repeatedly invited to teach the same school. Gradually laying 
aside the vocation of teaching, ]\Ir. Cooke, in company with his father, settled down to a 
farmer's life upon the farm owned by Jonathan Edwards, D. D. (afterward president of 



402 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Union College) while he was the pastor of the Colebrook church. In all that goes to make 
intelligent, progressive farming, he soon took the lead, and at an early age was made 
president of the agricultural society in his part of the county. He was foremost in the 
movement to secure for his brother farmers the advantages of a milk train to New York, 
and in various other practical ways showed an enterprising spirit and zeal for the general 
welfare. 

Mr. Cooke's political life began in 1856, when, at the age of twenty-five, he was elected 
to the state House of Representatives. An enthusiastic, conscientious young Republican, in 
those formative days of the party when Know-Nothingism controlled the state, he held to his 
convictions and voted for Francis Gillette and against James Dixon until the very last. He 
was always proud of his course at that time, especialh' after Mr. Dixon's change of political 
faith. Having a practical kno\vle:lge of educational affairs, he was early made acting school 
visitor, and rendered valuable service to the town in this capacity. In 1S64, he was chosen 
first selectman. It was a time wdien the burden of recruiting, filling quotas and other labors 
connected with the prosecution of the war demanded the best executive ability the town 
could furnish, and a wiser selection could not have been made. He met every test success- 
fully, and filled the office by successive elections until he removed from Colebrook. 

It was but natural that such marked energ\- as Mr. Cooke displayed should attract the 
attention of others than his immediate neighbors. In 1869, he was urgently invited to 
become manager of the Eagle Scythe Company at Riverton in the town of Barkhamstead. 
He accepted the position and filled it until the company discontinued business in 1889. His 
management of this trust has been characterized by vigor, industry and success. The 
factory had just been rebuilt, a debt contracted larger than the capital stock, prices had 
begun to steadily decline, and competition was increasingly strong. The situation was 
severe enough to try severely the caimcity of a man fresh from the farm, without previous 
experience in any line of manufacturing. In the face of every obstacle, however, existing 
or which has arisen, the company became solidly established. For several years he was 
postmaster at Riverton. 

Since his residence in Barkhamstead, Mr. Cooke has been sought for to fill other 
positions of trust. Living in a town strongly Democratic, his Republican principles have 
prevented his being elected to official stations. Nominated on one occasion, he reduced the 
normal, adverse majorit^' of fifty to fifteen in his own case. As candidate for senator from 
the Fifteenth District in 1875, he was defeated with the whole ticket though he received an 
exceedingly flattering vote in Barkhamstead. Again a candidate for senator in 1881, from 
the reconstructed Eighteenth District, he received a majority of 328, 23 more than the 
majority in the previous presidential year, and carried every town but Colebrook. His 
senatorial record proved so satisfactory to his constituents that he was again placed in 
nomination in 1882, and though pitted against a strong and energetic competitor, his 
majority was in, when almost every candidate of his party was defeated in the political 
tornado of that year. 

Mr. Cooke's excellent service in the Senate rendered him more widely known, and had 
much weight in securing his nomination to the lieutenant-governorship. Few senators were 
more popular. At first he did not take a prominent part in the proceedings, but as he grew 
more accustomed to his surroundings, his voice was heard as occasion offered, and his sugges- 
tions were so sound, and at the same time they were so modestly and clearly expressed that 
he attracted nuich fa\oral>le attention. Under the circumstances his election as president 
pro iem. at his second term followed as a matter of course. As chairman of the committee on 
education on the part of the Senate he made an enviable record, performing his duties with 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. .403 

such an intelligent apprehension of the needs of the state as to call for the highest praise from 
those best qnalified to jndge. Dnring the last session he was also chaivnian of the committee 
on engrossed bills, a position affording no opportunity for display, but involving a liberal 
share of time, much hard work, and demanding qualifications of a high order. He was 
appointed on the part of the Senate, a special committee to investigate certain matters in 
connection with the Storrs Agricultural School at Mansfield. 

At the Republican State Convention held in New Haven in the summer of 18S4, Mr. 
Cooke was nominated for the office of lieutenant-governor on the first ballot without opposition, 
and was placed on the ticket with Hon. Henry B. Harrison. The nominations of the 
convention were subsequently ratified at the polls. When it had fallen to his lot to occupy 
the chair of the Senate, he performed his duties to the entire and cordial satisfaction of all 
the members, without distinction, and this experience gave him unusual fitness for the 
responsibilities of the lieutenant-governorship. The citizens of the state would have made 
no mistake in placing him in the gubernatorial chair. 

In religious faith Mr. Cooke is a Congregationalist, and takes a zealous interest in all that 
pertains to the welfare of that branch of the church militant. He was a delegate to the si.xth 
triennial national council of that body held at Chicago in 1886, and had the honor of being 
chosen moderator of the proceedings. The gathering contained representatives of the church 
from all parts of the Union, and the selection was a high compliment. Mr. Cooke was also a 
delegate from the Fourth Congressional District to the National Re;niblican Convention at 
Chicago in the fall of 1892, when President Harrison was re-nominated. 

With Hon. John R. Buck, he was made one of the receivers of the Continental Life 
Insurance Company of Hartford in 1887. The affairs of the company were in an exceedingly 
tangled and intricate condition, and they aa-e just completing their labors. Mr. Cooke is a 
director of the State Industrial School for girls and of the State Humane Society, and is one 
of the trustees of the Hartford Theological Seminary. While a resident of Colebrook in i860, 
he became a member of the Congregational church, and for the larger part of the time until 
his removal he was an efiicient superintendent of the Sunday school. In Riverton he continues 
to render the same earnest service to the Master in whose cause he has enlisted. 

Every public position Mr. Cooke has filled has come to him unsought and without effort 
on his part. He is one of the men whom office seeks, and has never been found in the ranks 
of the office seekers. He finds his best and highest enjo}-ment in his business, in the society 
of his friends and in his home ; still he does not feel at liberty to neglect a call to serve his 
fellow citizens, and after a trust is once accepted he fills it conscientiously, and with all his 
trained abilities. 

Lorrin A. Cooke was married in 1858, to ^Matilda E., daughter of Deacon Abner S. 
W^ebster of Sandisfield, Mass. She died in 1868, without issue. For his second wife he 
married, in 1870, Josephine E. , daughter of Michael Ward, a Riverton manufacturer. Of the 
three children born to them onlv one daughter survives. 




404 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



'HEELER, NATHANIEL, president of the Wheeler & Wilson :\Linufacturing 
Company, was born in Watertown, Conn., Sept. 20, 1820, and died in Bridge- 
port, the city for whose welfare he had contributed so liberalh', Dec. 31, 1893. 

He was a descendant, in the seventh generation, from Aloses WHieeler, who 
came to America from London, Eng., in 1638, and who lived in New Haven, 
Conn., in 1641, and settled in Stamford, which then included the present site of Bridgeport, 
Conn., as early as 1643. Moses Wheeler was an extensive land owner and a man of promi- 
nence in his community. He died in 1695, having lived one hundred years. Many of his 
descendants still reside in Connecticut, mainly in the towns of Stratford, Derby and 
Watertown. 

David Wheeler, the father of Nathaniel, was a carriage-maker at Watertown, having six 
children. Nathaniel worked at the carriage trade, and made quite a reputation as a painter 
of taste and ingenuit)- in the decoration of carriages and the old-fashioned sleighs, which 
were profusely decorated with stripes and ornaments. In 1841, in which year Nathaniel 
attained his majority, his father retired to a farm, and Nathaniel took the carriage business 
on his own account, and conducted it successfully for about five years. At that time the 
manufacture of small metallic wares having become an important industry in the neighboring 
town of Waterbury, he decided to engage in it. Buckles, buttons, eyelets and slides for hat 
bands were among the articles made, and, beginning with hand tools only, he soon introduced 
machinery of various kinds in their manufacture, greatly cheapening their cost. Among the 
articles he produced were polished steel slides for ladies' belts, etc., which he was among the 
first to make in this country. The price at first was eight dollars a gross, but he reduced it 
to twenty-five cents a gross through the improvements he introduced in machinery and 
methods of production. 

Buckles and slides for hat bands were made in the same town by the firm of Warren 
& W^oodruff , and Mr. Wheeler joined his business to theirs, the partnership proving a success. 
When on a visit to New York, he heard of the Wilson Sewing Machine, then considered 
almost in the light of a novelty. It was on exhibition in the old " Sun " Building on Fulton 
street. After examining it he saw its possibilities and at once made an engagement with 
Mr. Wilson to go to Watertown with him to perfect the machine and superintend its manufac- 
ture. The result of this arrangement was that Messrs. Warren, Wheeler, Woodruff and Wilson 
formed a copartnership under the name of Wheeler, Wilson & Co. All of these gentlemen 
afterward bore an important relation toward the development of the Wheeler & Wilson sewing 
machine. The one, however, whose untiring energy, capacity to anticipate and prepare for 
the future, ability to inspire in others the same degree of confidence in his business acumen 
that he felt himself, and whose faculty of adapting himself to every situation made and con- 
tinued him the central figure in this development and success, was Nathaniel Wheeler. The 
important part played h\ him in making the sewing machine a practical and commercial success 
will be best understood by a brief reference to the earliest known attempts to make machinery 
do with needle and thread the work formerly done by hand. 

The " History of Fairfield County," published in 1881, contained the following mention 
of this corporation, which fills so large a place in the city of Bridgeport : ' ' The Wheeler 
& Wilson Company has been so long and so intimately connected w-ith Bridgeport, and has 
given employment to so large a number of the population, that no history of the city, even 
though a brief one, can be written without containing some account of it. This company 
removed to Bridgeport in 1856, but, in order to gain a clear idea of its history, it is necessary 
to go back to 1849, the year when Allen B. Wilson first invented his sew"lng machine. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 405 

Nathaniel Wheeler, who was born in Watertown, Conn., in 1820, was then carrying on the 
manufactnre of liglit metallic goods in his native place. Happening to be in New York npon 
business, he went to see the new sewing machine, which was then on exhibition in a room in 
the old " Sun " Building, and was attracting considerable attention. ]\Ir. Wheeler quickly 
recognized the merits of the invention, and at once entered into a contract to build five hundred 
of the machines at his factory in Watertown, ;\Ir. Wilson agreeing to remove to that place 
and superintend their manufacture. 

Further improvements ha\ing been made in the machine, an application for a patent was 
filed, and the document was issued Aug. 12, 1851. ^Messrs. Wheeler and Wilson now entered 
into copartnership with Alanson Warren and George P. Woodruff of Watertown, under the 
finn name of Wheeler, Wilson & Company, and began the manufacture of machines under 
the patent. Several hundred had been sold, and Mr. Wheeler had succeeded in introducing 
them into the extensive shirt factories at Troy, N. Y., and New Haven, Conn., and liad 
established depots for their sale in Boston, New York and Philadelphia, when, for the better 
prosecution of the business, the firm was dissolved, and the Wheeler &. Wilson iVIanufacturing 
Company was organized in October, 1853, with a capital of one hundred and sixty thousand 
dollars, one hundred thousand of this sum representing the patent right, and the remainder 
standing for tools, machinery' and working capital already employed in the business. 

The first president of the company was Alanson Warren, and the first secretary and 
treasurer George P. Woodruff, while among the original incorporators and stockholders was 
George ^Mallory, then of Watertown, but for many years past a resident of this city. Mr. 
Wheeler was elected president of the company July 18, 1855. In the spring of 1856, the 
business having greatly increased, it was decided to remove to East Bridgeport, where the 
works of the Jerome Clock Company had been purchased. Since that time its history had been 
identified with that of Bridgeport. The original clock factory has been greatly enlarged and 
new buildings erected, so that the establishment is at present one of the most extensive and 
complete in the country. 

At the present time the principal buildings consist of the main factory, for metal-working, 
assembling, testing, etc., occupying one complete square, 368 by 307 feet, under one roof ; a 
wood-working factory, covering a second square, 526 by 219 feet; a foundry and needle 
factor}- upon a third, 368 by 232 feet ; the works altogether covering over seven acres of 
ground. To show how far division of labor is carried, it may be mentioned that the well- 
known rotan,- hook undergoes one hundred and twenty-eight distinct operations, a glass-presser 
thirty-two, and a liemmer seventy. As the sewing machine proper is useless without the 
needle, the latter is, of course, an article of prime importance. No department of these works 
is more interesting than the mechanical processes of converting steel wire into perfectly 
finished needles. The distinct operations in the making of each needle now number thirt)-- 
three, having been recently reduced from fifty-two by improved machinery. 

The wood-working or cabinet department of this company is under a separate organiza- 
tion, styled the Sewing-^Machine Cabinet Company. The main buildings of this department 
are two in number, each 526 feet in length. Here is made all the furniture for the machines, 
from a plain table-top to the most elaborate and expensive full case or cabinet. The raw 
material, brought from Arkansas and elsewhere, is cut to dimensions in the company's saw- 
mill, and afterwards worked up into the desired forms. The excellent finish of the cabi- 
net-work is obtained by the use of the wood-filling invented by Mr. Wheeler, and patented 
Jan. 18, 1876. The invention is said to be one of great value, not only for sewing-machine 
work, but for all kinds of wood-work where a superior finish is desired." 



52 



4o6 REPRESENTArn-E MEN 

He was not content to limit his services to his company to execntive and pnrely prac- 
tical functions. His inventive ability was of prime importance and benefit. Although the 
company from the beginning consistently adhered to the rotar\- nrechanism, its machines, as 
has been seen, from time to time underwent material modifications, and in recent years very 
radical improvements were in the main due to the experiments instituted and directed by 
Mr. Wheeler, to the consequent inventions of others put into practical shape by him, and 
especially to original inventions of his own. 

Mr. Wheeler's inventions, as shown by the Patent Records, are as follows: In 1876, 
and again in 1S7S, he patented wood-filling compounds, now in general use. In 1876, with 
J. A. House, he patented a power-transmitter clutch ; in the .same year, with Philo M. Beers, 
an improvement on a former invention of Beers's for polishing needle eyes. In 1878, a 
refrigerator. In 1883, a ventilating arrangement for railroad cars; also a system of heating 
and ventilating houses. In 1885, with Wibur F. Dial, the eccentrically-centered loop-taker; 
also the feed regulator for the No. 12 machine, two patents. In 1890, the barred hook 
used in the No. 2 machine, two patents for tension release and one for combination of parts 
in the No. 9 machine. He also patented a design for cabinets. 

If it be conceded that the Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Co. have been foremost in 
the march of impro\'ement in the art of sewing by machinery, it must be conceded that the 
progress made by them was due to Mr. Wheeler personally in a greater degree than to any 
other man. An active business career of fifty-two years, each of which saw some valuable 
contriljution from Mr. Wheeler to the industry with which his name will alwa)-s be associated, 
is a record which any yoirng man, starting as he did, may review with profit. His ambition 
was ever at the highest, and his aims were always of the broadest, it being his frequently 
expressed desire to leave behind him a record which would stand to his honor. 

Air. Wheeler ha 1 many other interests besides those in the sewing-machine company. 
At the time of his death he was a director of the New York, New Haven & Hartford 
Railroad Company, a position which he had filled for many years ; director in the Willi- 
mantic Linen Company, and in the City National Bank and Mountain Grove Cemetery 
Association, and an officer in several other corporations in which he was financially interested. 

Years ago his fellow-townsmen saw and appreciated in him the qualities which had 
drawn the attention of the entire business world. He was several times elected to the local 
Connnon Council, and in 1872 represented his city as a member of the House of Representa- 
tives. In 1873, and again in 1874, he was the state senator from his district, and he served 
as a member of the local Board of Education from its organization until he resigned about 
two years ago. In all of these capacities Mr. Wheeler served with distinction, and "especially 
was his connection with local educational matters of material benefit to his city. The system 
of ventilation in the public schools of the city was his invention, and it is conceded to be 
one of the best in use. He was a member of the building committee of the present county 
court house and of the high school. He was one of the building commission on the present 
state capitol, which has the proud distinction of being about the only costly public building 
ever erected in this country within the appropriation. At other times Mr. Wheeler's consent 
was all that was lacking to secure for him the nomination for Congress and the governor- 
ship of his state. 

In foreign countries, too, Mr. Wheeler's genius and achievements were recognized. The 
Wheeler & Wilson Co.'s display at the World's Expositiou, at Vienna, in 1873, caused the 
Austrian Emperor to bestow upon him the Cross of the Order of Francis Joseph I. This 
made him a knight of the empire, and gave the right to the prefix of "Sir." This is a 
distinction rarely conferred, and is the same of which "Sir" George M. Pullman, the palace- 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6r-iSg4. 407 

car builder, was the recipient. The title ends with the life of the person, and it is required 
that at the death of the latter the decoration be returned to the Emperor. Abhorrent of 
ostentatious display, Mr. Wheeler never wore the cross but once, that being on a special 
occasion at the Chicago Exposition. At the Exposition Universelle, Paris, in 1889, he 
received the Cross of the L,egion of Honor of France, with the rank of chevalier. 

Mr. Wheeler was truly a part of the city of Bridgeport, and deeply will his loss be 
regretted by its citizens. For thirty-six years he had watched and assisted the growth of 
the place in which he made his life's success, and in many ways his public-spirited 
exertions and liberality in behalf of that city bore rich fruit. It was principally through his 
efforts, while a member of the Common Council, that a local sewer system was instituted. 
That his death should be indirectly due to a sewer seems like the irony of fate. Early in 
life, he recognized the great need for various sanitary reforms, and it may be said to have 
been one of his life-objects. 

Voicing the sentiments of all the citizens, a Bridgeport paper said a few days Ijefore his 

decease : 

We regret to hear of the very serious illness of the Hon. Nathaniel Wheeler of Bridgeport. His physicians 
were with him all last night, aud we judge that hope is almost abandoned. Mr. Wheeler is a very capable 
business man, an upright citizen and respected gentleman. He was the principal member of the well-known 
Wheeler & Wilson Sewing-Machine Company, and he amassed a large fortune in that great business. He is 
known as a modest, quiet man of pleasant address. He was a member of the state capitol commission, where 
he served for seven years in an intelligent and very useful manner. He neglected no duty in that long and arduous 
work. He was present at almost ever}' meeting, aud no detail of the work escaped his attention, as the building 
progressed story by story. His suggestions were always wise and practical. A man of principle, of strict integrity, 
a friend of justice, a stern opponent of jobs and wrong doing, is Nathaniel Wheeler. He has been a useful citizen, 
and his services have been of value to the public whenever he has been called to attend to public duties. 

After his death, the Hartford Coiiraiif, a paper politically opposed to Mr. Wheeler, 
practically gave expression to the feeling throughout the state : 

The death of the Hon. Nathaniel Wheeler of Bridgeport was recorded in Monday's Couranf. He has 
been feeble for some time, and his recovery was not expected, but his death, though not a surprise, is none the \ 

less a loss to the state, aside from the personal grief it brings to many friends. Mr. Wheeler was a strong man 
and a good citizen. Things that he undertook to do were generally accomplished. He had the patience and 
energy and foresight that made business a success, and along with these had a clean character and a reputation 
for trustworthiness and integrity that nothing in his career ever tarnished. Whoever came in contact with him 
was impressed with his directness, his force of mind and his simple honesty. He served the state in many 
ways, never ambitious for public office, but always ready to do his duty, aud was, from the consolidation in 1872, 
a director of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Bishop of Bridgeport, Mr. 
Robinson of this cit\-, aud Mr. Trowbridge of New Haven, who died a few weeks ago, were for a long period of 
years the controlling force of the corporation. The Courant did not agree with Mr. Wheeler's politics, for he was 
a life-long and earnest Democrat, but he was sincere in them, and in his death Connecticut has lost a good citizen. 



5:- \mi: s- 



UBBARD, HENRY GRISWOLD, of Middletown, pioneer in the manufacture of 
elastic webbing in the United States, for many years general manager of the 
Russell Manufacturing Company and ex-state senator, was born at Middletown, 
Conn., October 8, 1814, and died at his home in that city, Jul}' 29, 1891. 

Mr. Hubbard traced his ancestiy back to the earliest settlers of New England. 
George Hubbard, the founder of the family in America, was born in Wakefield, England, and 
with his wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Watts, came with the first English emi- 
grants to Hartford, Conn., in 1636. Both spent their lives at Hartford, as did also their son, 
Joseph, born there Dec. 10, 1643, and their grandson, Robert, born Oct. 6, 1673. The first 
named married Mary Porter, whose parents, likewise, were early settlers of the place. Robert 



4o8 REPRESENTATIIE MEN 

iiiarried Abigail Atkins. Their son, also named Robert, born at Hartford, July 30, 1712, 
married Elizabeth Sill, of Saybrook, Conn., a granddaughter on her mother's side of Richard 
Lord, whose wife, Elizabeth, was the daughter of Samuel Hyde, the son of William H}-de, 
who came to this country in 1633, and settled at Newton, now Cambridge, Mass. William 
Hvde, with the Rev. Thomas Hooker, the first pastor of the church in that place, removed 
in 1635-36, to what is now Hartford. William Hyde was of English birth, and belonged 
to a family whose ancestors came to England with William the Conqueror, and from whom 
descended many distinguished statesmen of that country. Soon after his marriage with 
Elizabeth Sill, Robert Hubbard (2d) purchased a farm at ]\Iiddletown, and removed to that 
place, where he spent the rest of his life following the occupation of farming. 

His son, Elijah, the grandfather of the su1)ject of this sketch, born in ^liddletowu in 
1745, married Hannah Kent. Even in boyhood he evinced a predilection for mercantile pur- 
suits, and when eighteen years of age engaged in trade, his capital being but nineteen cents. 
From this insignificaut beginning he rose by rapid stages to a position of wealth and influ- 
ence, and became the richest merchant in the town. His principal field of enterprise, was 
in the West India trale, of which ]Mi;ldletown was, before the Revolutionary war and for 
many years thereafter, one of the chief centers. During the struggle for Independence, Mr. 
Hubbard labored with patriotic zeal and energy to advance the cause of the colonies. 
As commissary and superintenlent of stores, commissioned by the Coniiecticut authorities, 
he rendered valuable services to the Continental army. When hostilities ceased, he reengaged 
in the West India trade, and amassed a comfortable fortune. In local affairs he enjoyed 
a high degree of prominence, being a justice of the peace — an office of great honor in 
those times — and for twenty-eight years in succession the representative of his district in 
the General Assemblv of the state. .\s a financier he was likewise well-known and success- 
ful, being the originator and largest stockholder in the old ^Middletown bank, incorporated 
in 1795, and its president from that date until his death, which occurred at Hartford in 
1808, while he was in attendance at the General Assembly. 

His son, also named Elijah, was born at Middletown, July 30, 1777, was educated at 
Yale College, graduating in 1795. After reading law at Litchfield, he was admitted to the 
bar at New London, where he engaged in practice. He rose to distinguished prominence 
in public life, was ma)-or of Middletown for many years, served eight terms as a member 
of the state Assembly, and held other offices of honor and trust. A successful financier, 
from 1822 to 1846, he filled the office of president of the Middletown bank. He married 
Miss Lydia Mather, daughter of Samuel Mather, a highly respected resident of Lyme, Conn., 
wdio bore him four children, of whom Henry Griswold was the second. 

He received his early schooling at Middletown, and when about fourteen years of age 
he entered as a pupil at the famous military academy of Captain Partridge at Norwich, Vt. 
After two terms at this institution he entered the Ellington high school where he was pre- 
paied for college. He then entered Wesleyan University, his intention being to secure a 
thorough classical education. At the age of seventeen, and before completing the course, he 
found that his health woidd not stand the strain of application to study, and quitting the 
university, he took employment as a clerk in the office of J. & S. Baldwin, merchants. After 
a brief term in their employ he went to the city of New York and took a clerkship in the 
office of Jabez Hubbard, a distant relative, who was a commission merchant in woolens. 
Here he remained until he mastered the intricacies of trade. In 1833, he returned to 
Middletown, and in partnership with Jesse J. Baldwin engaged in the dry goods business. 
Success crowned his youthful efforts, and he at once took rank with the leading business 
men of the place. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 409 

Upon attaining his majority he was offered and accepted the responsible position of 
manager of the Rnssell Mannfactiiring Company, of which he had become a stockholder. 
To the duties of this position he devoted his best energy and talents, with the happiest 
results. It has been said of him that " his individual history is indelibly inscribed in the 
history of this company." Many of its greatest successes ha\-e been directly attributable to 
his personal zeal and shrewdness. One of the greatest of these, the successful manufacture 
of elastic webbing, was achieved in 1841. The circumstances attending this notable advance 
in weaving are as follows : Up to the year mentioned the manufacture of the webbing for elastic 
suspenders had scarcely been attempted in America. Resohed to remedy this deficiency 
Mr. Hubbard purchased in New York a single pair of imported suspenders, for which he paid 
three dollars. Having pulled out the rubber threads he gave them to his foreman and asked 
him to make a warp of them and then to weave a strip of thread. Although a skilled 
workman, the foreman confessed his inability to comply with this request. Nevertheless 
Mr. Hubbard persisted in his belief that it could be done, and eventually proved that it 
could be done. 

About this time he learned that a Scotchman named George Elliott, employed in a 
factory at New Britain, Conn., was weaving elastic webbing on a hand loom, a single strip 
at a time. Seeking an interview with this workman he found that the factory in which he 
had been employed was closed. After diligent search he found the man himself and 
learned from his own lips that he had a valuable secret in the preparation and manipulation 
of rubber thread. To secure the services of this skilled workman he bought the machinery 
employed by him and gave him also a remunerative position in the service of the Russell 
Manufacturing Company. The price paid for the machinerv was one hundred dollars. 
Thereafter it was employed in the mills of the Russell Company, where it was improved 
and adapted to various requirements in the manufacture of elastic webbing, givino- to the 
company a decided advantage in the trade. To ]\Ir. Hubbard belongs the credit of its 
introduction, and he could justly claim the honor of being the pioneer in the manufacture 
of this fabric in the United States. 

After 'Sir. Hubbard became connected with the Russell ^Manufacturing Company he 
managed its affairs with zeal and rare sagacity up to his last illness. Master of every 
detail of manufacture he guided and controlled each department with increasing care and 
with the happiest results. Just and considerate in his treatment of the emplo}-ees of the 
company, he had their respect and best wishes. In the seven great mills controlled bv the 
company, hundreds of the men, women and children emploved were known to him 
personall)-, and many of them in time of sickness and distress were the grateful recipients 
of his bounty or friendly offices. Although he was the executive head of one of the o-reatest 
corporations in the state and obliged to guard every moment of his time during business 
hours, he was one of the most accessible of men and received the humblest workman as 
freely and courteously as the richest merchant prince. Neither his wealth nor his eminence 
in the business world affected his demeanor, which was affable and agreeable under all 
circumstances. 

In social circles he was greatly esteemed as the possessor of many of the most sterling 
qualities of mind and heart. By religious faith he was an Episcopalian, but he entertained 
liberal views regarding the rights of the various denominations, respecting equally the 
claims of Catholic and Protestant, and solicitous only for the true essentials of Christianitv. 
Mainly at his own expense he caused to be erected a chapel at Middletown, in which the 
ser\ices of the Episcopal church are regularh- maintained. He also built a residence for the 
rector and, in addition to the rent, contributed a regular amount monthly to his salary. 



4IO REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

Absorbed by liis business duties he had little leisure for politics, but, yielding to the judg- 
ment of the leaders of his party (Democratic) he consented to accept a nomination as state 
senator from the Eighteenth Senatorial District, and being elected by a large vote served as 
such during 1866. In 1884 and 1888, he was presidential elector and each time voted for 
Grover Cleveland for President. In business circles his name was a tower of strength, being 
a synonym for honesty and reliability. Since the incorporation of the Middletown bank in 
1844, he had been a member of its directory. He was also trustee and manager of the 
Middletown Savings Bank for a number of years, and at one time its president. 

Mr. Hubbard married on June 19, 1844, Miss Charlotte Rosella McDonough, daughter 
of that valiant American naval officer, Commodore Thomas McDonough, the hero of Lake 
Champlain. The three children born of this marriage are Margaret Sill Hubbard and Lucy 
IMcDonough Hubbard, the latter the wife of Samuel Russell (son of George Russell, Esq., 
and grandson of the Hon. Samuel Russell), vice-president of the Russell Manufacturing 
Company, and Charlotte E., who died iu 1850, when but two years old. 




|EAD, DAVID M., of Bridgeport, ex-member of the Senate of Connecticut, late 
president of the Board of Trade of Bridgeport, and widely known as one of the 
leading merchants and manufacturers of New England, was born at Hoosac 
Falls, N. Y., on Oct. 12, 1832. He died Dec. 5, 1893. 

His parents, ]\Ioses Farnuni and Sally Read, -removed to North Adams, 
Mass., when he was a child, and in that village he spent his boyhood and received his early 
edtication, attending first the district school and then the academy. At fifteen, having mastered 
the branches taught, he left his books to enter upon the practical work of life. ]\Iany of his 
ancestors had been successful farmers, and being blessed with sound health, he concluded to 
follow that calling. Accepting a situation as farm hand on a farm near liy, at a salary of four 
dollars a month and board, he entered upon his labors with the zeal of youth, expecting to till " 
the soil and han'est its crops. But his ambition in this respect was not gratified immediately, 
for the first work to which he was put was the very necessary but rather prosaic occupation 
of sawing and splitting wood. This occupation, conducted under the blazing sun — accord- 
ing to what appeared to be time-honored precedent — somewhat dampened the ardor of the 
young aspirant for agricultural proficiencv, and wdren, having completed this laborious task, 
he was taken up on the slope of the mountain and given another, even more uncongenial 
to him, namely, that of picking and piling stones, his disappointment was so great that it 
vented itself in indignant protest, and he abandoned farming forever. 

Mr. Read received his first knowledge of mercantile life in a drj'-goods store at Williams- 
town, Mass., in the year 1847. After spending a year or more at Willianistown he left that 
place to take a more profitable situation at Lenox, Mass. When about twenty years of age 
Mr. Read removed to Bridgeport, Conn., having accepted a responsible clerkship in the old- 
established dry-goods house of E. Birdsey & Co. Having carefully husbanded his means, 
Mr. Read found himself, early in 1857, the possessor of about fifteen hundred dollars — which 
represented his savings for a period of about five years. In August of that year he obtained 
a loan of an equal amount from Mr. Hanford Lyon, a wealthy gentleman of his acquaint- 
ance, wdio was very uuich interested in his success and encouraged him to begin business 
on his own account ; and with his augmented capital and in association with Mr. W. B. 
Hall of Bridgeport, as partner, he opened a dry-goods and carpet store in that city. Twenty 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 411 

years later, in August, 1877, Air. Hall retired and Air. Read conducted the business alone 
until 1885, when, on account of its magnitude, re-organized it into a close corporation, con- 
sisting of himself as president, his two sons, a nephew and his buyer (Mr. Burton). This 
corporation is one of the most extensive and successful in the dry-goods and carpet trade in 
the Eastern states, and as the legitimate successor of a house established more than a quarter 
of a century, and which has passed unscathed through every commercial perturbation occur- 
ring since its foundation, including the great panics of 1857, 1861 and 1873, it enjoys an 
unsurpassed reputation for honesty and solidity. 

In association with his brother, Mr. Charles A. Read, he began the manufacture of 
ingrain carpets in a small way in 1869, their factory being at Bridgeport. At first the 
establishment operated two looms, but by gradual increase this number was soon extended 
to twenty. In 1873, this manufactiiring business was turned into a stock concern, under 
the title of the Read Carpet Company, with a capital of fifty-five thousand dollars, which 
was increased to two hundred thousand dollars in 1877. Mr. David M. Read was chosen 
president and selling agent, with headquarters at Bridgeport, and salesroom at 935 Broadway, 
New York. At the present time the company's mills contain fifty ingrain power looms and 
twenty Axminster looms. The output, consisting of ingrain and Axminster carpeting, equals 
in value about half a million dollars annually. 

Mr. Read took an active part in the organization of the Bridgeport Board of Trade, 
founded in 1S75, and, being elected its president in the following year, served in that 
capacity till the close of 1890, wdien he resigned. He was a director in the Bridgeport 
National Bank and vice-president of the City Saving Bank for many years ; and at various 
times was connected ofificialh- or otherwise with a number of local institutions, mercantile 
charitable and social. For upwards of eight years he sei-^^ed as brigade commissary in the 
Connecticut National Guard, with the rank of major, and was acting commissary general of 
the encampment of Connecticut troops at the Centennial Exposition, at Philadelphia, in 1876. 
For his executive ability in the management of his department during this encampment he 
was highly complimented by the governor and general commanding. 

Interested in everything appertaining to the welfare of Bridgeport, he at all times was 
willing to serve his fellow-citizens even at the cost of much personal inconvenience. He 
was a member of the Board of Education, a member of the City Council and also first alder- 
man of the city, and in each of these positions met the highest expectations of the public, 
discharging the varied duties and obligations of the respective offices with zeal and discretion. 
Until the Greeley campaign of 1872, Mr. Read was a Republican, at which time he became 
an independent. In 1881, he was nominated on the Democratic ticket for state representa- 
tive and was elected by a very large majority. In 1S84, he was sent as delegate to the 
Democratic convention at Chicago which nominated Grover Cleveland for president, Mr. Read 
being then, and until his death an ardent Cleveland man. In 1S88, he was elected to the 
state Senate, and again in i8go, his constituents feeling that he had not finished his work 
for them, returned him to the Senate by a largely increased majority. Upon the convening 
of the Senate, Mr. Read was unanimously elected president pro /on. Owing to the illness, 
and later the death of Lieutenant-Governor Alsop, Mr. Read was the presiding officer at 
every session of the Senate, virtually acting lieutenant-governor. It was possibly owing to 
his innate courtesy that a collision was averted in the Senate in 1891. One day General 
Merwin, the hold-over lieutenant-governor, decided by advice of his political associates to 
present himself there and preside over that body. He took the chair unopposed, called on 
Chaplain Seymour for prayer, which that Democratic clergyman willingly gave. Then he 
read a brief address stating in gentlemanly terms the fact of his right to preside, and, call- 



412 



REPRESENTA Til E MEN 



ing his friend, Senator Read, to the chair, tnrned over the position to him. It was a trying 
moment. Mr. Read made no step toward interference or dispute, but on the invitation 
walked quietlv up, shook hands and took the chair. Had not the two men been of gentle- 
manly characters a row might easily have developed. As it turned out, each probably 
thought the better of the other for what had happened, and the incident did credit to 
Connecticut. It is one of the few pleasant memories of the discreditable deadlock. 

Mr. Read served as chairman of the Connecticut World's Fair Board and did valuable 
work for this state. He was also deeply interested in the Boys' Club, and addressed the 
Chicago Boys' Club, urging them to push forward honestly and energetically, assuring them 
that in this countrv there was always room at the top for an honest man. He delivered an 
address at the Connecticut building, Jackson Park, on Connecticut day, Oct. ii, 1893. 

Both as merchant and manufacturer and also as a public servant, Mr. Read stood high in 
the esteem of the community in which he lived. His success was achieved on broad rather 
than close lines, and he was fairly entitled to be classed with the most enterprising and 
progressive men of the state. His personal popularity was very great owing to his numerous 
public-spirited acts, his well-known generosity, and his unfailing courtesy. He was a fine 
type of the intelligent, broad-minded and useful American business man ; as capable and 
trustworthy at the helm in public affairs as in the management of great private interests. 

Mr. Read married on December 3, 1855, Miss Helen Augusta, daughter of Philo F. 
Barnum, in his life a prominent citizen of Bridgeport, brother of P. T. Barnum. Four 
children have been born to this marriage, of whom one, a daughter, Helen Augusta, died on 
October 13, 1872. The surviving children, two sons and a daughter, are: Charles Barnum 
Read, now treasurer of the D. M. Read Company of Bridgeport ; David Farnum Read, who 
was graduated at Yale College in 1883, and is now vice-president of the D. M. Read Company, 
and manager of the New York office of the Read Carpet Company ; and ]\Iiss Alay Louise Read. 

The funeral of Mr. Read was one of the most notable which ever took place in Bridgeport. 
Distinguished men from all parts of the state were present, and the whole ceremony was a 
universal trilDute of respect. Almost all the state officers were present, the two Senates in 
which he served were well represented, and numerous members of the judiciary, and other 
prominent persons paid the last honors to the dead. Voicing the sentiment of the citizens, 
W\& Standard SAxA: "In the death of the Hon. David M. Read, which occurred yesterday, 
Bridgeport loses a man closely connected with its growth aiid prosperity for the past thirty 
years. There are but few men who could compare with him in that respect, while the void 
created in social circles by his demise will be long unfilled. His friends were legion and his 
enemies very few. He drew men to him by his admiraljle qualities, and he seldom lost a 
friend once made. He was active and progressive in all public matters and for years labored 
for the advancement of the interests of Bridgeport as diligently as he did in the direction of 
his private affiairs. Big-hearted, generous, able, fiill of activity and push, he infused his 
spirit into those about him and carried out his enterprises with a zeal and judgment which 
commanded approval and achieved success. It is safe to say that not a man could be taken 
from active life in this city who will be more generally missed and no one whose death will 
be more sincerely mourned." 



OF CONNECTICUT, iS6i-iSi)4. 413 

^^^■REGORY, JAiMES GLYNN, M. D., of Norwalk. was born in that city May 12, 
(^^:i|^^^| 1S43. Two strains of Gregory blood, both coming from old England, are 
p|f^^' united in the snbject of this sketch. The record of the given name of the 
^l^^g_ J first Gregory- to enter the bonnds of Connecticut has been lost ; but from his 
son IMoses, the succession conies down through Ezra and a second Moses to Ira. 
Ira Gregory was a thorough physician of the old school and a man of mucli force of charac- 
ter. He married Frances A., daughter of IMoses Gregory. ]Mrs. Gregor)'s first American 
ancestor was John Gregory-, who landed at Boston, the exact year being unknown, and at a 
later period the family crossed over into Connecticut. 

After passing through the common schools of his native town, and taking a course at the 
Wilton Academy, he was prepared for college, and entering Yale University was graduated in 
the class of 1865, having a high place among the "honor men." Choosing the life of a 
physician as that best adapted to his tastes, he commenced the studv of medicine at the College 
■ of Physicians and Surgeons of New York, and received his degree in i\Iarch, 1868. After 
serving a term in Berlin City Hospital, in 1870, he located in Norwalk, where he has since 
made his home. He was associated with his father, and thus gained the benefit of his father's 
experience, and on the death of the latter, in 1872, he succeeded to his practice. In the years 
which have elapsed, he has added largely to the list of patients, and his record book shows a 
wide range of cases. Without devoting himself to any special line in his profession, he has 
built up a reputation from the general practice of medicine equaled b\- few in the limits of his 
native state. 

It was but natural that honors of various kinds should be laid before him for acceptance, 
and the}- ha\e been borne in a most becoming manner. Dr. Gregory is a member of the State 
Medical Society and has been president of the Fairfield County Medical Society. In 1882, he 
was surgeon-general of the state, on the staff of Governor Bigelow, and in this capacity he 
took part in the Centennial celebrations at Yorktown and Charleston. For five years he was 
trustee of the Middletown Asylum for Fairfield County, and for half a dozen years he was 
United States Examiner for Pensions, btit resigned in 1890, owing to the press of other duties. 
He is now on the consulting board of the Soldiers' Home at Nuroton. 

In the civil affairs of the city of Norwalk, he has always taken a deep interest. Besides 
serving on school boards at different times. Dr. Gregory was a member of the Court of 
Burgesses for three years, and for one year filled the office of warden. For one term he 
represented the city of Norwalk in the lower branch of the state legislature, being the first 
year the new state house was occupied. At this session he served as chairman of the com- 
mittee on federal relations and as a member of the committee on claims. Dr. Gregory is a 
Master Mason, but has never held any office in this noble order. He has passed through all 
the chairs in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a member of the Grand Lodo-e. 
Though not a member, he attends the Congregational Church, and takes an active interest in 
its welfare. As a citizen, as an official and as a physician, he is highly respected in the city 
of his birth, where he is best known. It would seem almost as if he gave a contradiction to 
the Scripture saying, that '' A prophet is not without honor except in his own city," because 
it is those who have grown up alongside of him from childhood who possess the most confidence 
in his ability. Nor is his reputation as a physician by any means confined to the citv limits. 
In medical circles throughout the state his name is recognized as a leader in the profession, 
and all his brethren delight to do him honor. 

James G. Gregorv was married Dec. 4, 1877, to Jeannette Lindsley, daughter of Timothy 
S. Pinneo, Esq., of Greenwich. Mr. Pinneo was the author of Pinneo's Grammar, and other 
standard school books, and came from a staunch Huguenot family. Three children were the 
result of this union : Edward Slosson, Jeannette Liudsley and Alyse Earl. 
53 




414 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



3YDE, EPHRAni H., of Stafford, ex-lieutenant-governor of the state. A sketch 
of his life in "An Illustrated Popular Biograph}- of Connecticut" says that 
the name of the Hon. Ephraim H. Hyde of Stafford is familiar to the people 
of this state as that of a leading politician, an agricultural scientist, and a 
thoughtful student of social economy. In every one of these capacities he is 
no less widely than fav'orably known, and his many j-ears are crowned with many honors. 

He was born at Stafford, on the first da\- of June, 1S12. He married Hannah Converse 
Young, Sept. 27, 1836. Six children were born to them, three of whom died in infancy, 
another at the age of four years; the other two, Ellen E., wife of Ernest Cady, of the 
Pratt & Cady Company, and E. H. Hyde, Jr., of the firm of H\'de &: Joslyn, are now 
living at Hartford. His wife died Feb. 26, i<S62, and, on Oct. 19, 1869, he married Miss 
Mary S. Williams of Hartford, who now survives. 

Attendance at the district school in his native town, and aliout six. weeks of stud\' at 
the academy in Monson, ]\Iass., comprised his entire school education. His boyhood was 
passed in the manner common to the boys of that time ; work on the farm, accompanied by 
general service in an old-time hotel connected with the farm and known as the half-way 
stage station between Worcester and Hartford, and about four months as a stage driver 
between Stafford and Sturbridge, filled up the years between school and the commencement 
of his active biisiness life. He took an efficient and active interest in the Universalist 
Society of Stafford, serving therein as sexton, orgauLst, and leader of the choir for fifteen 
years. Entering a couiitr}- store as a clerk in his eighteenth year, he became proprietor of 
the same in his twenty-first year, and from that time on he has been clo.sely identified with 
the business interests of the town. He was interested in a blast furnace business for about 
eight years ; in his twenty-ninth year he was the chief promoter of a cotton mill at Staf- 
ford Springs ; he was for manv years interested in the business of manufacturing satinets, 
as one of the firm of Converse & H\-de ; and he has been actively engaged in many other 
industrial enterprises. His energies have been devoted principally, however, to promoting 
the agricultural interests of the state and to breeding blooded stock. 

About the year 1842, having become the owner of two or three large farms, all of 
which he retained until within a few years, and most of which he still owns, he commenced 
the careful breeding of stock from imported and native cattle, and thus entered upon a 
course that was to make his name familiar as a household word to the leading agriculturists 
throughout the country. 

Air. Hyde began with Devons, and aftenvards experimented with Ayrshires, Durhams, 
and Jerseys ; but believing the Devons to be the best adapted to this part of the country, 
he applied himself to the scientific selection and breeding of that class, and as a result he 
greatly improved the stock and produced herds of rare beauty and excellence, the winners 
of many a sweepstake medal and prize. He will be known in the years to come as the 
pathfinder for Devons in this country. Animals from his herds have gone to all parts of 
the country, and it can be said with truth that the improvement of the stock in his native 
state is owing in a large measure to his care and wisdom as a breeder of pure-blooded 
Devons. 

He early became concerned in the general agricultural interests of the state, and has 
been an active and zealous participant in all movements for their protection and advance- 
ment. Fully comprehending the needs of the farmers, and also the necessity of arousing 
them to a realization of the benefits to be derived by the adoption of more intelligent and 
scientific methods of farming, he zealously devoted the best years of his life to the interests 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18^4. 415 

of agriculture, giving his time, money, and talents without stint, and bringing to the 
service an indomitable will and energy that prosecuted its aims with a patient industry that 
was untiring. It was largely owing to his influence and enterprise that the Tolland Comity 
Agricultural Society was organized in 1S52. He was its president from its organization to 
i860, and again from 1864 to 1S68 ; and Hyde Park at Rockville was thus named in his 
honor, and in recognition of his services to the society. He was president of the Connecticut 
State Agricultural Society from 1858 to 1881 ; vice-president of the New England 
Agricultural Society from its beginning; vice-president of the State Board of Agriculture 
from its organization in 1866 to 1882 ; and was chosen again in 1890, and is now vice- 
president ; chairman of the commissioners on diseases of domestic animals for thirty years, 
which ofifice he still holds ; president of the American Breeders' Association from 1865 until 
it resolved itself into sections for each breed ; president of the Connecticut Valley Agricultural 
Association, comprising Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont ; corporator 
of the Connecticut Stock Breeders' Association ; vice-president of the Dairyman's Associa- 
tion ; chairman of the committee to publish the first \olume of the American Herd Book ; 
president of the Tolland County East Agricultural Society, from its organization in 1870 to 
1876 ; and one of the trustees and vice-president of the Storrs School, a position which he 
still retains. Mr. Hyde had long been in favor of a school in which the science of 
agriculture should be taught, and was one of the first two persons who consulted the Storrs 
brothers in regard to the project of establishing the school at Mansfield. The scheme met 
his appro\-al ; and that the plan was finally adopted, and that the school has been able to 
maintain itself against the numerous attacks that ha\-e been made upon it by friends and 
foes alike, is largely owing to his indefatigable efforts and earnest support. At a meeting 
of the trustees in 1889 he was chosen one of the building committee to erect the beautiful 
and conrmodious structures which have been completed at about the estimated cost of 
$50,000. 

His labors to secure reform in the management of prisons and houses of correction have 
been extensive and persistent. He is one of the founders and directors of the Prisoners' 
Friend Association, and a director, also, of the Industrial School for Girls ; and has been 
more or less active in the direction of the state board of education, especially in 1867, 1868, 
and 1869. When the United States Agricultural Convention met in Washington some time 
since, he attended as delegate from the New England Agricultural Association. 

He has also been called to numerous other oihces by the citizens of his town and state. 
He was county commissioner for Tolland County in 1842-43 ; a member of the House of 
Representatives from Stafford in 1851-52 ; a delegate to the National Democratic Convention 
at Baltimore ; and in the presidential campaign of i860 he took a pi"ominent part, identify- 
ing himself with the state rights faction, whose head and candidate was Breckinridge, and 
was made an elector on their ticket. He was a state senator and president pro tern, of 
the Senate in 1876 and 1887, and lieutenant-governor in 1867 and 1868. While occupying 
the latter position the office of commissioner of agriculture at Washington became vacant, 
and he was strongly pushed for the place, every member of the legislature then in session, 
irrespective of their party aflSliation, signing the petition, and nearly all the state delegation 
in Congress. He took an earnest and lively interest in the Connecticut Experimental 
Station, and was chosen vice-president of the board of control at its organization March 29, 
1879, and still retains the office. He presided at the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary 
of the primitive organization of the Congregational church and society in Eranklin, Conn., 
Oct. 4, 1868. He was president of the Tolland centennial celebration in 1876, delivering 
the opening address, and he has occupied many other offices of more or less importance. 



41 6 REPRESEXTATIl'F. MEN 

In all liis public life, covering a period of neariy half a century, his aim has been to 
subserve the interests of the state, and not the shadow of a suspicion rests on his honored 
name. His conduct, motives and methods have been straightforward and honorable, and 
his record is one of which he may well be proud. 

Ex-Lientenant-Governor Hyde has filled a large place in the state, but his name will 
be best known as that of the eminent breeder, who by his enlightened efforts materially 
assisted in raising the farming industry of the state to a higher level, and in vastly 
increasing the value of its dair}- farms and stock. 

In the course of years he is now aged ; but few are the men of half his age who are 
to be compared with him in activity and endurance. Always strictly temperate in his 
habits, he has saved himself from the infirmities that so often overtake public men in their 
declining years. With a tall and slender form, a well-bred face, a flowing white beard and 
the graceful courtesy of an elder day, he presents a striking figure. Affable and agreeable, 
fond of society and companionship, kind and considerate of others, with a pleasant smile, 
and a cheerful greeting always, he has as large a circle of personal acquaintances and friends 
as any man in the state, and no one is more liighh' esteemed. 




|OOKER, JOHN, of Hartford, ex-reporter of judicial decisions for the Supreme 
Court of the state, was born at Farmington, Conn., in 1816. 

After receiving the tisual preparatory education, ^Ir. Hooker entered Yale 
College, and was graduated in the class of 1837. Being of a legal turn of 
mind, he studied law at the Yale Law School, and was admitted to practice 
in the courts of the state. His careful attention to the interests of his clients, combined with 
a thorough knowledge of Connecticut law, soon gained for him an increasing list of patrons. 
In 1858, Mr. Hooker was appointed " Reporter of Judicial Decisions " for the supreme 
court of the state, and the responsible duties of this office proved to be his life work. For 
thirty-six years he filled the position, retiring Jan. i, 1894, then in his seventy-eighth year. 
The greater part of the extended series of Connecticut Law Reports was prepared and published 
by him, and the value of his painstaking work can hardly be over-estimated. Not many of 
the lawyers who search through these dry legal volumes ever think of the hand and brain 
which arranged them for convenient use and then handed them down to posterity. 

]\Ir. Hooker, in earlv manhood, was one of the leading anti-slavery men of the state, and 
when this cause had providentially reached a successful culmination, he afterwards espoused 
the cause of woman suffrage. In recent years, he has investigated the phenomena of spirit- 
ualism, and after subjecting them to the most rigid tests has become a believer in the reality 
of communications from departed spirits. He is a member of the Congregational Church, and 
has served as deacon for the greater of his life. In his theological beliefs, he ranks with the 
most liberal of the progressive branch of that body of Christians. 

Mr. Hooker was married in 1841, to Isabella, daughter of Rev. Dr. Lynian Beecher and 
sister of the authoress, Harriet Beecher Stowe. The golden wedding was appropriately cele- 
brated in I 89 I. 




OF CONXECTICCT, iS6i-/S()4. 417 

pflLP^S, FREDERICK, a distinguished citizen and business man of Salislnirv, 
Conn., prominently identified for many years with extensive iron industries in 
Cohunbia County, N. Y., and during three terms the representative in the 
Congress of the United States from the Fourth congressional district of Connecti- 
cut, was l)orn at Goshen, Litchfield County, Conn., Dec 19, 18 15. 
He is a member of one of the oldest families of New England, being descended in a 
direct line from Richard Miles, who arrived in Boston from England in 1636, and who was 
one of the early settlers of New Haven. His father, the Hon. Augustus Miles, a promi- 
nent citizen of Goshen, served with distinction in both bi-anches of the Connecticut legisla- 
ture, and is still remembered in the state as an able and upright public official. In his ^-outh 
Frederick jNIiles attended the public schools at Goshen, and complete'd his education by a 
thorough course of study at the local academy. At the age of seventeen, being then a 
well-educated youth, he secured a clerkship in one of the leading dry-goods houses at New 
Haven, where he devoted a }-ear to gaining an insight into business methods. When eighteen 
years of age he took a responsible clerkship in his father's store at Goshen, and, in 1838, he 
was admitted to partnership. He remained associated in business with his father until 1S57. 
In the spring of 185S, he removed to Salisbury, where he has since resided. Shortly 
after retiring from mercantile business, Mr. Miles became interested in iron mines at Copake, 
Columbia County, N. Y., and this industry under his fo.stering care and able management 
has developed into one of considerable magnitude and importance, giving employment to a 
large number of workmen. As a citizen, having large and valuable biisiness interests at .stake, 
Mr. Miles has always kept abreast of American legislation. He has made a close studj' of the 
leading questions which have engrcssed public attention for man\- years, particularly those 
bearing on finance and the tariff, and became known in the business world as a gentleman 
of sound and practical views upon these and upon legi.slation in general. A Republican in 
political faith, he was brought forward by that part)', in 1878, as its candidate for Congress 
in his district — the Fourth — an acknowledged stronghold of the Demociacy. Mr. Miles was 
one of the best known men in this district and no one stood higher in public esteem. His 
integrit}- as a business man, his broad views on public questions and his great personal 
popularity caused him to be supported at the polls not only by the voters of his own party, 
but also by many of the opposition, wdio felt that he could be relied upon to represent the 
interests of his constituents in a non-partisan spirit and for the general welfare. Notwith- 
standing that the Democratic nominee was a man of irreproachable character. Mr. Miles was 
the choice of the people, being elected by a majority of eleven hundred and .se\-ent\-nine 
votes. This astonishing victory was repeated in 1880, Mr. ^Miles, who had been a .second 
time nominated, being reelected by a heavy majority. In 1888, he was again placed in the 
field by his party, and was a third time elected to represent his district in the National Congress. 
^Ir. Miles's congressional career was marked by an earnest sympathy with Republican 
institutions, by the vigor with which he upheld the interests of the important constituency 
he represented, and by the breadth and logic of his views upon all great national questions. 
He defended the credit of the country again.st all plots and schemes which could in any 
way impair its high standard, and as a firm friend of the American workingman he earnestly 
supported the protective tariff measures inaugurated by his party. Although not conspicuous 
as a debater, he was a power in the committee room, where the real work of legislation is 
mainly accomplished. Able and dignified in all his dealings, he was held in the very highest 
respect by his colleagues and the various high officials of the national government with whom he 
held public relations. To his intelligence and zealous care of the interests of his constituents 



41 8 REPRESENTArilE MEN 

on all occasions he added a courtesy of demeanor which contributed in no small degree to 
enhance his popularity. He was particularly courteous to the 'people of his own state, and 
no man from Connecticut ever visited him at the national capital, or sought an interview 
with him at home, without feeling that Congressman Miles was heartily his friend, and willing 
to serve his interests to the best of his ability. 

In 1890, jMr. Miles was a fourth time nominated by the Republicans of Fairfield County 
for congressional honors, but the political complications of that year in Connecticut were 
inimical to the success of his party, which failed to elect its candidates for national offices. 
Mr. Miles's personal standing and popularity, however, have been in no way impaired or 
lessened, and he is to-day, as for many years past, one of the strongest men politicalh- in 
the whole state. In prixate life he is noted for his kindliness and courtesy. Faithful to 
his friends, and watchful of every interest confided to his care, he has merited and received 
the highest respect both as a private citizen and a public official. In person he is the embodi- 
ment of manly vigor and honest self-reliance. His forehead is broad and high, his eye is 
large and kindh" in expression, and his mouth and chin indicate great strength of character. 
He bears his years as easily as he does his honors, and clearly belongs to that class of men 
who " would rather be right than President." 




;ILS0N, FREDERICK MORSE, :\I. D., of Bridgeport, was born in Hebron, 
INIaine, Dec. 8, 1850. It is a Maine family. Dr. Wilson being the first in his 
line to settle outside of the state. William Wilson, son of Thomas and Ann 
Wilson, was a respectable fanner at Topsham, and his youngest son, Adam, set 
his heart upon ha\-iug a l^etter education than the youths around him. The 
father offered the old farm as an inducement for the ambitious son to remain at home and 
become a tiller of the soil. Upon Adam's declining the proffered farm, his father incontinently 
refused to give him further assistance, and consequently the youth shouldered a bundle contain- 
ing his " earthly all " and walked from Topsham to Hebron, a distance of thirty miles. Here 
he found a place to "do chores " for his board, and fitted himself for college at the Hebron 
Acadenn-. Entering Bowdoin College; he was graduated in the class of 1819, being in his 
twenty-sixth year. Deciding to enter the sacred ministr}-, ]\Ir. Wilson went to Philadelphia 
and took a course of theological studies under Rev. Dr. Stoughton and Rev. Alvah Chase. 
He was ordained at Topsham, I\Ie., Dec. 20, 1820, and first supplied a pulpit at New Haven, 
Conn., at the same time continuing his studies under Dr. Fitch of Yale College. Leaving this 
field, he preached successively as Wiscasset, Turner and New Gloucester, Me. 

In 1828, he established a denominational paper in Portland, which is still published under 
the name of Zw>rs Advocate. Besides being both editor and proprietor of a paper, Rev. Mr. 
Wilson also preached quite regularly on the Sabbath, supplying different pulpits. At the end 
of nine years he gave up editorial work, and again resumed his labors as a pastor, taking 
charge of the First Baptist Church of Bangor. Three and one-half years were spent here, 
two more at Turner, and then he a.ssumed his old place again as editor of Ziott's Advocate, 
a connection which lasted until 1S4S. Disposing of his paper he moved to Hebron, and after 
passing three years here and five more at Waten-ille, he gave the last fourteen years of his life 
to the poorer churches of Maine, staying with each only a sufficient time to get them in a condi- 
tion to be self-sustaining. In this work he was especially successful. As preacher, pastor 
and editor, he took rank with the ablest men of his denomination. Waterville College gave 
him the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1854. 



"1 





■^. I ^' 



^^6^1 




OF CONNECTICUT, 1S61-1S94. 419 

Dr. Wilson married Sarah H. Ricker, who was a lineal dcceudant of Matniiu Ricker, who 
emigrated from England to America about 1670, being closely followed by his brother, Cjeorgc 
Ricker. Both brothers married and became the heads of families not far from what is now 
Dover, N. H., and both of them were killed by the Indians on the same day, June 4, 1706. 
Joseph Ricker, son of Maturin, was said to ha\-e been " a man of large worldly substance." 
His son, Capt. Joseph Ricker, had a son Dominicus, who was the father of Mrs. Wilson. 

Frederick M. Wilson, the subject of this sketch, was the youngest of the four children of 
Dr. Adam and Sarah H. (Ricker) Wilson. He was prepared for college at tlie Waterville 
Academy, and entering Colby University at the age of sixteen, he was graduated in the class 
of 1871. The medical profes.sion being attractive to his tastes, he at once commenced its 
study. Taking one course of lectures at Bowdoin College, he entered the Medical Department 
of Har\-ard University, and i-eceived his degree of M. D. in 1875. He practiced his profession 
at W^aterville, Me., for two years. He then moved to New York City, and for a year gave 
his whole time to study of tire eye and ear. 

In January, 1879, Dr. Wilson opened an office in Bridgeport, Conn., and has since made 
that thi'iving city his home. These fifteen years have been filled with hard and continuous 
work. At the end of three months he ga\'e up general practice, and has since treated only 
diseases of the e}-e and ear. During all this time, he has served regularly on the staff of the 
Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital in New York City. Many interesting and difficult cases 
have come under his care, but a technical description would only be of value to the student 
or specialist in the same field. During the years 1882 and 1886, he was in England and on 
the Continent engaged in the study of his specialties. 

Dr. Wilson is a member of the Bridgeport, Fairfield County, and Connecticut Medical 
Societies. Of the city and count)' societies he has ser\-ed as president. He is ophthalmic and 
aural surgeon to the Bridgeport Hospital, and is instructor in the Post Graduate School at 
New York. For the year 1893, he was vice-president of the Bridgeport Scientific Society, 
and he is a member of the American Ophthalmological Society ; also of the .\merican Otological 
Society. He read technical papers before both these societies at the Congress of American 
Physicians and Sirrgeons, at Washington, in May, 1894. The Connecticut State Medical 
Society elected him " Dissertator " for 1895. 

Doctor Wilson was married Nov. 13, 1883, to I\Irs. Carrie A. Marsh, daughter of E. H. 
Somers, Esq., of W'est Haven, Conn. The family consists of two daughters. 




^\ ERRY, GEORGE EDWARD, of Waterbury, attorney-at-law, was born in Bristol, 
Conn., Sept. 15, 1836, and is a lineal descendant from Samuel Terry, who 
emigrated from England, and settled in Springfield, Mass., in 1650. 

The foundation of Mr. Ten-y's education was laid in tlie common school. 
He was preparing for college at the Albany (N. Y.) Academy, and also I'ead- 
ing law in his uncle's office, when his health broke down, and he was obliged to seek 
more active employment to save his life. His ne.xt experience was in a clock shop, where 
he had been previously employed ; later, he learned the machinist's trade, but this routine 
work grew exceedingly irksome to him, and one day while engaged in a pin factory at 
Winsted, he suddenly decided to throw up his position and become a lawyer. Acting promptly, 
he at once commenced the study of legal technicalities in the office of Samuel P. Newell, 
Esq., of Bristol. Here he industriously wrestled with the intricate pi'oblems laid down in 



420 REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 

Blackstone for more than two years, and, in the summer of 1857, he entered the office of 
John Hooker, Esq., of Hartford. Mr. Terry was admitted to the bar of Hartford County 
at the ]\Iarch term, 1858. He did not enter immediately upon the practice of his chosen 
profession, Ijut spent the next year looking out for some land interests of his father's in 
the state of \'irginia. 

In January, 1859, the real occupation of Mr. Terry's life began by his opening an office 
in Plainville, Conn., commencing without a partner. The .spring of i860 saw him elected a 
member of the legislature for the town of Farmington. He had the honor of being the 
3'oungest member at that session, and his committee appointment was chairman on fisher- 
ies. In the fall of 1862, his patriotic desires to ser\-e his country could no longer be restrained, 
and he enlisted in the Twenty-fifth Connecticut Regiment, under Col. George P. Bissell. 
Tlie regiment was placed in the army of General Banks, in Louisiana, where they had a 
share in the battle of Irish Bend. Later they followed the rebel general, Dick Taylor, to 
Shreveport, from which point they took transports for Port Hudson, where they remained 
until its surrender. ]Mr. Terr\- was in all the engagements in which his regiment partici- 
pated, and was honorably discharged in August, 1863, and he came home with the sense 
of duty faithfully performed, and with no bullet wounds in his body. 

September, 1863, found him located at Waterbury, where he has since continued to 
reside. He at once formed a partnership with Hon. Stephen W. Kellogg, under the title 
of Kellogg & Terry, a connection which lasted until March, 18S1. Until July, 1868, he 
pursued the practice of his profession alone, and at that time he entered into a partnership 
^vith Nathaniel R. Bronson, the firm name being Terry & Bronson. This connection still 
exists. Among the more important cases with which Air. Teriy has been associated are 
Terry vs. Bamburger, the point involved being the right of a receiver to recover property in 
another state, then in the hands of an assignee in bankruptcy. A number of delicate 
and sharply contested issues were brought out, and the case went to the Supreme Court 
of the United States, but was finally decided in his fa\or. It established a principle which 
is now considered most excellent law. 

He was also counsel in the case of Donovan's appeal from Probate. This was an 
action for money loaned to a married woman on her own accoviut, and the question 
in\olved w'as wdiether her property generally would be holden in equity for its repayment, 
or only that held by her for her sole and separate use. The case was carried to the 
Supreme Court of Connecticut, which held that her property generally was holden. 

As Wx. Terry's practice has been general in its nature, his high reputation is based on 
his comprehensive knowledge of law, rather than on a special study of a single line of legal 
questions. Noted for his careful preparation of a case, his battle has been half won before 
he ever appears in court. He easily stands in the front rank of the lawyers of the state. 

The list of Mr. Terry's official positions are quickly enumerated. He has been assistant 
state's attorney for New Haven Coiinty since 1891 ; was clerk of the City Court of Water- 
bury from 1866 to 1872, and city attorney from 1883 to 1891. For two years he has been 
president of the Waterbuiy Gas Light Company, and he is a director of the Fourth National 
Bank, of the Waterbury Savings Bank, of the West Side Savings Bank, and of the Water- 
bury Traction Company. In none of these stations is he a figure-head, but his counsel is 
vahied and his influence felt in all important operations. 

George E. Terry was married September 20, 1862, to Emma, daughter of Benjamin 
Pollard. She died in April, 1868, leaving one son, Fred L-, w'ho is now in the office of the 
Waterbury Button Company. He was married for the second time to Fannie E. Williams. 
Two children were tlie result of this marriage, both of whom are now dead. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S61-1S94. 421 



J|E FOREST, ROBERT E., of Bricl<jeport, member of Congress from the Fourth 
Congressional District, was born in (iuilford, Conn., Feb. 20, 1845. His o-rand- 
fatlier, George Griswold, was a worthy farmer of Guilford. His father, Georo-e 
Cleaveland Griswold, and his mother, nee Julia Chapman, are still residents of 
that town. 

Mr. DeForest's youthful days were passed on the paternal farm, attending Guilford 
Academy as opportunity afforded, and from that institution he entered Yale College in 1863, 
and was graduated with honors four years later. While in college, he was noted for his 
abilitv as a writer and for his capacity to turn off large quantities of work, as well as for his 
readiness in debate and his graceful fluency of speech. He labored under the disadvantages of 
poverty, and endured the sacrifices and hardships which many a New England boy has passed 
through while struggling to get an education. Just before he came to Yale a gentleman named 
DeForest had left a certain sum of money to be used in educating an\- young man who would 
pass the best examination and take the name " DeForest." -vSuch was his thirst for knowledge 
that, having the ability to fulfil the first requiremaiit, Ik^ decided to accept the condition 
attached to the bequest, aud it was from this reason that a change in his surname was effected. 

After leaving college, Mr. DeForest decided to enter the legal profession, and engaged 
in teaching as a means of support, at the same time studying the technicalities of law most 
diligently. He was admitted to the bar in 186S, and, settling in the citv of Bridgeport, he 
continued to earn his livelihood by teaching night schools and acting as a private tutor, until 
clients, recognizing the young man's worth and industry, pressed up3n him eager to secure 
his services. As a lawyer he has been especially successful, and as an advocate he is unex- 
celled at the bar of Fairfield County. Learned in the law, eas)- in manner and fertile in 
resources, he is a dangerous opponent and always makes a brilliant presentation of a case. 
The younger men at the bar count him as their best friend, and they come to him more 
frequently for advice and assistance over the rough places in law than to anv other meml:)er 
of the legal fraternity of the county. For several years he was associated in practice with the 
late Judge Sidney B. Beardsley. 

From his earliest manhood, JNIr. DeForest has taken an active interest in pul)lic matters, 
and has been honored with a goodly share of official stations. In 1872, he was appointed 
prosecuting attorne\- for the cit\- of Bridgeport, aud two years later, at the age of twentv-nine, 
he was elected b\- the legislature judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Fairfield County. 
At the close of his three years' term upon the bench. Judge DeForest retired, carrying with 
him the respect and confidence of the entire bar, and with an established reputation as a 
keen, able and honest lawyer. 

The citizens of Bridgeport had been watching and appreciated his manly course on 
numerous occasions when it had been put to the test. In 1878, Judge DeForest was nominated 
and elected mayor of the city. He placed the direction of the city finances on a practical 
basis, and by his prudent management reduced the nnmicipal debt by a sum of $31,000, a fact 
which speaks volumes for his conservatism and discretion. When the town and city go\ern- 
ments of Bridgeport were con.solidated in the spring of 1889, the Democratic party turned to 
him as the one man who could safely hold the rudder of nnmicipal government through this 
time of new ways and methods. In the three preceding years the debt of the citv had been 
increased over $200,000, but tliis year he secured a reduction of $50,000. The following year 
he was nominated for the mayor's chair against the most popular man in the Republican part\-, 
and who had previously filled the office for two terms. After one of the hardest political con- 
tests ever fought in Bridgeport he was again elected mayor by an unexpectedly large vote 
over his competitor. His administration was admirable and satisfactory to his constituents, 
54 



422 REPRESENTATirE MEN 

In 1880, the Democratic party elected Judge De Forest to the state legislature by a hand- 
soiue majority, where, from the very opening of the session, his force, eloquence and ability 
enabled him to take a commanding position. He deservedly won considerable repute for the 
favorable stand he took toward the o}-ster-growers of the state, and almost single-handed he 
carried through a minority report in their interest. The oystermen have never forgotten that 
the solid basis on which the oyster legislation of the state rests is largely due to his earnest 
efforts in their behalf. After a memorable contest in 1882, he defeated the late Hon. Amos 
S. Treat for the state Senate, and the record he made in that body gave him an enviable repu- 
tation in all parts of the commonwealth. For several terms Judge DeForest has served as 
corporation counsel for the citv of Bridgeport, and, in 1888, he was unanimoush- endorsed by 
the bar of Fairfield Countv for a position bn the bench of the Superior Court. 

His name was brought forward in the Democratic Congressional Convention of the Fourth 
District in October, 1890, and he was enthusiastically nominated as the standard bearer of the 
party. The opposition candidate was the incumbent of the office, but with the chances 
decidedly against him he was victorious at the polls. In the course of a forcible speech 
accepting the nomination. Judge DeForest said : 

How true it is that "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty ! " IIow restless is the spirit, how watchful are 
the e^-es, how manifold and subtle are the resources and expedients of despotic power ! How it has dogged the 
footsteps of humanity from land to land and from age to age ! Wherever the experiment of human government 
has been attempted — how, ever3'where and always has it insinuated itself into the places of authority, and bowed 
down the backs of God's children to tribute! Here, in these United States of America, in this age of enlighten- 
ment and toleration under the -^gis of our popular system, we flattered ourselves, forsooth, that we should be 
safe. Vain and delusive hope ! The spirit of despotism is here, under the form of free institutions ; under the 
knavish disguise of a pretended philanthropy ; under perjured oaths of allegiance to law and justice, the spirit of 
despotism is here. It stalks in our midst ; it lurks in the shadows of our National Capitol ; it ascends its 
vestibule ; it haughtily and insolently treads its halls. There, among those patriotic and sacred associations and 
memories ; there, under the folds of the flag ; there, in the very central shrine and by the very altar of our 
freedom it enthrones itself, in all the hideoxisness and hatefulness that ever smirked and snarled under a British 
crown, when the men of '76, with far less provocation than we suffer, rather than endure it longer unsheathed the 
bloody sword of revolution. 

It is the same old spirit, engaged in the same old work. Taxation and tyranny — the lust of power and the 
lust of gold — joining hands, sordid, unholy arid cursed alliance, with its feet upon the prostrate and bleeding 
form of betrayed and outraged liberty. Is it not indeed so? Is there fancy or exaggeration in this picture? Nay ! 
Nay ! What was the taxation against which our fathers rebelled, compared with that b)' which the Republican 
party has harassed, oppressed and impoverished this people for a quarter of a century? It was the same in 
principle, but in magnitude, in enormity, it was not a drop in the bucket in comparison with that which this 
Republican conspiracy of t3-ranny and avarice is imposing upon us. Necessary taxation, reasonable taxation, 
fair, just and honest taxation, no one will complain of. But we charge the Republican party, and the charge 
cannot be evaded or palliated — we charge the Republican party as our ancestors charged King George with 
unnecessary, unreasonable, unjust, unfair, dishonest and ruinous taxation ; taxation that discriminates against the 
poor and in favor of the rich ; taxation upon the simple necessaries of life ; taxation that concentrates and 
consolidates enormous wealth in a few selfish hands and grinds the face of poverty ; taxation that deprives capital 
of its profits, labor of its wages and agriculture of every phase of prosperity. Can this be gainsaid ? 

Speaking of the nomination, the Xorzcalk Record •lis.xd Air. DeForest a very graceful tribute : 

His sturdy democracy and advocacy of the principles of his party, and his integrity and strong force of 
character are elements that singled him out from his fellow Democrats to be their leader. He was a poor boy 
and by his indomitable courage and careful efforts he has attained his present prominence. He has alw'ays been 
the friend of the people and not of the corporations. To protect the oppressed and unmask infamy has been his 
guiding principle. Three times have his fellow-citizens elected him to the mayoralty of Bridgeport, and he has 
honored them by an honest administration of the affairs of that office. He has also served his state well in the 
legislature, and as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas and other offices. He is a man above reproach and 
is a man of the people. 

His first term of service in Congress demonstrated to the voters of the district the value to 

them of a representative in Congress possessed of brains, capacity, character and courage. 

At the Democratic Congressional Convention of the Fourth District in 1892, there was no 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1S61-1894. 423 

ars;unient regardin<^ the nominee, and Jndge DeForest received a second nnaninions nomination. 
In presenting his name, among other good things, Jndge Albert M. Talhnadge said : " From 
him we expected mnch. He has more than realized our expectations. The people of this 
congressional district without regard to part\-, are proud of their representative in Congress, 
and the people of this district will see that he is returned to the place he has so honorably 
filled. Is it reasonable to suppose that Democrats alone were proud of the ringing speech 
of our representative against the free coinage of silver ? Did he not represent the people of 
this district when he said : ' This proposition for the free and unlimited coinage of silver, at 
the ratio and upon the terms here designated, excites in the minds of those whom I have the 
honor to represent, and so far as I know, in the minds of all the people of the entire state and 
section from which I come, the profoundest apprehension, as being in their judgment a measure 
involving political heresv, unsound finance, commercial disaster, industrial prostration and 
moral culpability.' " 

He was again elected and is now serving his second term with credit to himself and to 
the satisfaction of his constituents. In every instance he has faithfully represented the inter- 
ests of his district. The Washington papers and the New York papers spoke highly in 
commendation of his silver and tariff speeches, notably the Ncia York Times and the New 
York U\vid. In Connecticut most of the papers of the state commended his stand and his 
speech on the silver bill, while papers and men of all parties have shared in the pride of the 
Democrats in this exceptional record of Judge DeForest in his term of service. When the 
record of his work during his second term is written it is safe to say that it will be eciually 
satisfactory. 

When he has been before his fellow-citizens for election. Judge DeForest has never been 
beaten. The secret of his hold upon the people is not hard to find. He believes in them ; 
they reciprocate his confidence. He has stood for their rights and fought their battles. Then 
his character is as open as the day, and his life has been above all reproach. In personal 
appearance he would attract favorable attention in any land ; a refined and intelligent face, 
a body strong, well-built and active, and a head indicative of the possession of brains, with a 
manner unmistakably sincere — these go to make up the man. Eas)- and courteous in 
demeanor, approachable at all times to every comer, it is not to be wondered at that Judge 
DeForest is popular with all classes in society. For some years past he has been junior warden 
of Trinity (Episcopal) Church, and is an earnest cooperator in every good work in the city 
of Bridgeport. 

Robert E. DeForest was married Oct. 18, 1871, to Rebecca Bellows, daughter of Judge 
John S. Marcy. Their children are Frederick Marcy, who has just finished his third }-ear at 
Yale College, Robert Griswold and John Bellows. 




424 REPRESENTATUE MEN 



yHAPMAN, MARO S., of Manchester, president of the Perkins Lamp Company 
of Manchester, and of the Hartford ^lanila Company, Hartford, was born in 
East Haddam, Feb. 13, 1839. 

After receiving a thorough common school education, Mr. Chapman engaged 
in mercantile pursuits at Manchester, and was so occupied when the call came 
for troops in 1S61. His patriotic zeal was fired, and he enlisted in Company C, Twelfth 
Regiment, and rendered faithful service in the War of the Rebellion. His term of enlist- 
ment having expired — in 1864 — he accepted a situation with the Plimpton Manufacturing 
Compau\-, Hartford, and, his executive ability being appreciated, he has been gradually 
advanced until now he is treasurer of the company. When the Plimpton Company secured 
the contract from the government for manufacturing stamped envelopes, the work was placed 
in charge of ]\Ir. Chapman, and the position has gi\cn him an excellent opportunity for 
showing the business capacities he possesses. 

In the various branches of electric development, Mr. Chapman has taken a deep interest. 
He is now president of the Perkins Lamp Company, and of the Mather Electric Company, 
both of which are located at Manchester, and are doing a prosperous business. He is also 
president of the Hartford ^Manila Company, which has an extensive mill at Burnside Under 
the inspiration of Mr. Chapman's* management, the business of this company is in a flour- 
ishing condition. It will be seen that no small share of 'Wx. Chapman's interests lie in the 
capital city, and every effort for the extension of its trade limits finds in him a ready 
helper. He is an active member of that energetic body, the Hartford Board of Trade, and 
is also a director in the City Bank. 

From his earliest manhood, Mr. Chapman has been an earnest and valued member of 
the Republican party, and, as such, has often been called to serve the party and the state 
in places of public trust. His connection with the Republican town committee of ]\Ianches- 
ter extends o\er nearly a quarter of a century, most of the time serving as chairman. In 
18S1, he represented Manchester in the lower branch of the legislature, and was appointed 
chairman, on the part of that body, of the committee on cities and boroughs. A number 
of perplexing questions arose that year, and it was one of the hardest worked connnittees 
of the session. His services were of undoubted value to the state at large, and his beneficial 
influence was felt and acknowledged by all his associates in the House. In the fall of 1884, 
IVIr. Chapman received the unanimous nomination of the Republicans of his district for the 
senatorship, and was elected by a gratif}-ing majority. 

A member of the Republican state con\-ention which nominated Hon. Henry B. Har- 
ri.son for governor, he was an able and influential supporter of the cause of the part\' in the 
campaign which followed. In all the state and national campaigns Mr. Chapman's services 
are in constant demand. He is an admirable debater and a clear and forcible speaker, always 
presenting his views with great earnestness and in a style to carry conviction to the minds of 
the hearers. His business connections have brought him in close touch with a number of the 
prominent men of the state in both political parties, and he has the highest respect of thenr all. 
A thorough Republican and a sturdy upholder of Republican principles, Mr. Chapman is in 
no sense a bitter partisan, and his manly course has secured for him the esteem of those to 
•whom he is politically opposed. 

Mr. Chapman's first wife died in 1869, leaving one daughter, who is now the wife of 
E. S. Ela, editor and publisher of the Maiicliestcr Herald. His present wife was Miss Helen 
C. Robbins of Manchester. Two daughters were the result of this union. The religious 
connections of the famil\- are with the Centre Congregational Church. 




OF CONXECTTCUT, iS6i-iSi)4. 425 



OOD, I)A\'ID A., of Hartford, proprietor of the United vStates Hotel, was born 

in Sheffield, Berkshire County, IMass., Sept. 27, 181 7. Mariner Rood, who is 

the first of the family line of whom definite knowledge can be ascertained, moved 

1^ K^^V^S' from Simsbury to Canaan, Conn., somethino over a hundred years ago. His 

son David had a son, David, Jr., and the latter married Salome, daughter 

of vStephen Partridge of Canaan. In 1815, he moved to Sheffield, Mass., and engaged in 

agTicultural pursuits. The subject of this sketch was the third of their eight children. 

The education of ^•oung Rood was a liberal one for the times, being gained at the 
excellent public schools of Massachusetts. His fii'st business venture was as proprietor of 
a hotel in New Haven. Two )-ears later, he took charge of the Connecticut Hotel, Hartford, 
and this he sold in 1849, in order to enter mercantile business in Winsted, Conn., where 
he remained until November, 1851. Then he bought out the Eagle Hotel, Hartford, which 
■ he enlarged and changed to the Trumbull House, and continued as proprietor until the 
spring of 1865, when he took a lease of the United States Hotel, which was in an adjoining 
building. In 1867, he bought out the Trumlnill House, and two years later he connected 
them together, since which time the name Trumbull has been dropped and the whole known 
as the United States Hotel. With one or two breaks, of greater or less length, Mr. Rood 
has retained the management, and is the oldest hotel proprietor, both in age and years of 
service, in the state of Connecticut, now engaged in active business. Besides his connec- 
tion with the hotel interests named, he was proprietor of Fenwick Hall, .Saybrook, for five 
years, and of the iNIanhansett Hotel for one year. 

For a number of \-ears he was connected with the National Guard of Connecticut, and 
served as lieutenant-colonel of the First Regiment for three years. Colonel Rood is a con- 
sistent Republican in political life, having been identified with that party since the days of 
Fremont, in 1856, and has been honored by various offices within its gift. A member of 
the Hartford board of police commissioners for ten years, he rendered excellent service to 
the city in that capacity. He was treasurer of the Brown School for fourteen years, and has 
been a director of the Dime .Savings Bank for a still longer period. His religious affiliations 
are with the Pearl Street Congregational Church, of which he is a member. In Hartford, 
where he has lived for nearly half a century, he is honored and respected, as well for his high 
personal character as for his civic virtues. 

D. A. Rood has been twice married. First, March 23, 1843, to ilaria W., daughter of 
Asaph Woodford of Avon, Conn. She died Jan. 23, 1883, leaving two sons and one daughter: 
Frank D., chief clerk in the governor's office; Arthur Woodfoi'd, clerk at the United States 
Hotel, and Emma Louise, who is now Mrs. Henry H. Goodwin of Keney, Roberts & Com- 
pany. He was married a second time, Sept. 10, 1884, to x\bbie F., daughter of vSanfdrd 
Carroll of Dedham, Mass., who was a lineal descendant of John .\lden of the Plymouth 
colony. 




426 REPRESENTATIFE MEN 



DGERTON, FRANCIS D., M. D., of Middletown, was born at East Hampton, 
Conn., An.qnst 26, 1838. Dr. Edgerton conies of an excellent Connecticnt 
family, his tastes for the intricacies of medical lore and practice being largely 
inherited from his father. Dr. Francis G. Edgerton, the third son of Simeon 
and Lucy (Griswold) Edgerton, was born in Norwich, Conn., in 1797, and died 
in East Hampton in 1870. He stndied medicine with Dr. Philemon Tracy of Norwich Town 
and Dr. William P. Eaton of Norwich City, and after attending the regnlation conrse of 
lecture's in New Ha\en, he received a license to practice, locating in East Hampton, where 
he gained an honorable name for himself. He married ]\Iiss JMarietta Daniels, by whom he 
had one son — the subject of this sketch. 

The early education of }-oung Edgerton was obtained in the public and select schools of 
his native town. While quite a boy, he evinced a decided taste for the profession which his 
father had .so successfully followed for so man}- years, and thenceforward he was given every 
opportunity to acquire a thorough knowledge of its principles. The vears from thirteen to 
fifteen were spent at the preparatory school at Wilbraham, Mass., and from there he went to 
East Greenwich, R. I., where, in 1857, he had the honor of delivering the salutatory address 
before the graduating class at the anniversary exercises. Entering Weslevan University, he 
gxaduated in the class of 1861. 

Following out his lifelong ambition. Dr. Edgerton at once commenced the study of 
medicine under his father's excellent tuition. Subsequently, in 1862, he attended a course of 
lectures at the Berkshire ]\Iedical College, and, in 1863, took a regular course of medical lectures 
at the University of Vermont, from which institution he received his degree of M. D. Soon 
after he passed an examination for assistant-surgeon of the Twenty-first Regiment, Connecticut 
Volunteers, and received his commission as such, but was prevented by circumstances beyond 
his control from entering the service. The years 1863-64 found him at the College of Physi- 
cians and .Surgeons, connected with Columbia College, N. Y., attending a third course of 
lectures. He graduated from this institution in 1864, receiving a second diploma. After 
passing a conipetitive examination in April of the same year under the commissioners of 
Charities and Corrections, he spent eighteen months in Bellevue Hospital and six months at 
the hospitals on BlackwelPs Island. 

In July, 1866, Dr. Edgerton came to Middletown and commenced the practice of his pro- 
fession as the successor of Dr. John Ellis Blake. He soon commenced to enlarge the list of 
his clientage, and it has continued to increase until the present time. The limit of his 
practice is by no means confined to the city in which he lives, but he is often called in con- 
sultation in different parts of the state. 

His medical contemporaries have made known their appreciation of his executive abilities 
by electing him to various ofificial positions, and his coni'se while in office clearly showed that 
their confidence was not misplaced. From 1873 to 1877, Dr. Edgerton was secretar)- and 
treasurer of the Middlesex County Medical Society, and from 1S76 to 1882, he was treasurer 
of the Connecticut Medical Society. Commencing with the very date of the organization of 
the institution, he has been the attending physician at the State Industrial School. As the 
representative of the State Medical Society, he delivered the annual address before the gradu- 
ating class of the Yale ^Medical School in 1878, and it was a masterly production. 

Dr. Edgerton's reputation in the profession of which he forms an honorable part, as well 
as in the community in which he resides, has been gained by careful study and conscientious 





K 



iri r/ '-^J. /(ciL -2 *«y 2V^ 2. t. 



OF CONNECTICUT, jS6r-iSg4. 



427 



service in relieving; suffering hnmanity. Now in the prime of his h-xter manhood, he lias yet 
manv years before him in which to bless his fellow-men l)y curing the ills which their flesh 
is heir to. 

Dr. F. I). Edgerton was married in 1868, to Amelia Dnpont, daughter of Henry C. Cruger 
of New Orleans, La. Three children have been born to them : Henry Cruger, Francis Cruger, 
and John Warren. 




A:\nLTON, DAVID BOUGHTON, of Waterbury, president and manager of 
the Rogers & Brothers Compau}-, and of other corporations, was born Oct. 19, 
?^| 1824, in Danbiiry, Conn. 

He is a descendant of one of the few Scotch families who came to Con- 
necticut in the seventeenth century. William Hamilton emigrated from Scot- 
land to this country in 1690, and landed on Cape Cod, going from there to Rhode Island, and 
later to Bear ^Mountain in Danbury. He brought with him a cane inscribed " Wm. Hamilton, 
Gentleman," which shows that he was a man of mark for the times in which he lived. Born 
in 1644, he died 1746, having by more than two jears rounded out a centur\^ of life, and one 
of his daughters lived to the same good old age. From the original emigrant the line comes 
down through (2) Joseph, (3) Silas, (4) Paul, (5) David, who married Deborah Knapp 
Boughton. David Hamilton was a volunteer soldier in the war of 1812, and the subject of 
this sketch was the youngest son of his six children. The second, third, fourth and fifth 
generations of the family were all born in the same old homestead. 

The common schools and Danbury Academy supplied all the education young Hamilton 
received, with the exception of a special course at a private school in Hartford. Until he was 
seventeen he remained on his father's farm, and the next two years were spent teaching school 
in Hartford and W^ethersfield. For the years 1851 and 1852, he was a clerk in the Hartford 
Post Office ; but the real work of his life began when he entered the employ of Rogers & 
Brothers, manufacturers of silver-ware in Hartford. Five years were well invested learning 
the details of the business. In 1858, the plant was moved to Waterbury, and Mr. Hamilton 
went with the concern as both book-keeper and salesman. W^hen the company was incor- 
porated in 1859 he was chosen secretary, but he still continued to attend to the outside business 
as before. 

April 18, 1861, he was in Philadelphia, and not realizing all that was happening, went on 
to Baltimore, on the last train before communications were cut off. After the e.Kciting scenes 
of the 19th, Mr. Hamilton pushed on to Washington on the 20th, and there found that com- 
panies were being formed for the defence of the capital of the nation. He at once enlisted in 
a company commanded by Cassins M. Clay, and for two weeks he stood guard, and performed 
the other duties of a soldier. In response to Governor Buckingham's call for volunteers, three 
regiments had been raised before he got home, and he joined the fourth, which for some reason 
was not taken. He finally went into active service in July, 1861, and his command was 
placed in the Army of the Northern Potomac under General Banks. Lieutenant Hamilton 
was detailed to ser\'e as corps quartermaster. When the army went into winter quarters in 
1861, he was made clothing officer for the fifth army corps, and was practically a member of 
Gen. Banks's staff. The care of camp equipage was included in his duties. He was the last 
officer to leave Strasburg, making his exit with twenty-three wagons about 2 P. M., after 
burning all the clothing and camp equipage which he was unable to take with him. His 
command getting cut off, he led his train of wagons and one hundred soldiers by a circuitous 



428 REPRESENTATIIE MEX 

route, and after passing through some rare experiences, he saved ever)- man and all the equip- 
age. Lieutenant Hamilton was with his regiment at Cedar Mountain, where the regiment was 
badlv cut up and placed in reserve, on the march from Culpepper to Washington, being in 
the skirmish at Warrenton vSprings. They were in line of battle at Chantilly, but were not 
actually engaged. Soon after this, on the return of the regiment to Maryland, Lieutenant 
Hamilton was promoted to a captaincy. In the spring of 1S63, he was honorably discharged. 

While Mr. Hamilton was in the service of his countr}-, the business of the Rogers & 
Brothers Company was carried on. He was made treasurer of the company in 1865, and four 
years later was made president, thaugh he has been manager of the company ever since his 
return from the war. The\- make a specialty of sih-er-plated flat table ware, and under his 
management the output has been increased tenfold. 

Mr. Hamilton has found time to devote to other corporations and enterprises besides the 
one of which he is the controlling spirit. Since its organization in 18S1, he has been presi- 
dent of the ^Manufacturer's Bank, and has occupied the same position in the Waterbury 
Lumber Company since it was started in 1884. He is president of the Connecticut Steam 
Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company of Waterbury. He holds a directorship in the 
Meriden Britannia Company, in the Bridgeport Brass Company, in the William Rogers Company 
of Hartford, and the Wilcox & White Organ Company of Meriden, and has been a director in 
various other companies. In 1881, he had the honor of being the first Republican to be sent 
from the Waterbury district to the state Senate after the war. In the local offices he has gone 
almost the entire round, ha\'ing been councilman, alderman, selectman, water commissioner 
for twenty years, school visitor and president of the school board, and wherever he has been 
placed he has never disappointed the expectations of those who elected him to office. He is 
an excellent representative of the sturdy Connecticut \eomanry, and has gained an honorable 
name for himself in the manufacturing world. 

I). B. Hamilton was married May i, 1847, to Mary, daughter of Squire Rogers of Hart- 
ford. She died in 1859, leaving one .son. He was married a second time in 1863, to Mary, 
daughter of Lewis Birely of Frederick, ]\Id., who was a noted manufacturer of leather. She 
died in 1870, leaving a son and a daughter. He was married again in 1S71, to Isabel Ely of 
Lyme, Conn., by whom he became the father of one son. His oldest son, Charles A. 
Hamilton, is president of the Rogers &: Hamilton Company of Waterbury, and treasurer of 
the Bridgeport Brass Company. 




XDERS, THOMAS OSTRAM, of West Hartford, ex-president of the .-Etna Life 
Insurance Company, and of the United States Bank of Hartford, was born in 
Glen, X. Y., Sept. 21, 1832. His father, who bore the same name as the son, 
was a leading merchant and justice of the peace, and was recognized as one of 
the prominent citizens of the place. 
The larger part of Mr. Enders's early life was passed in Meriden, where he received a 
thorough common school education. The late John G. North, who was a prominent figure in 
fire underwriting and afterward in life insurance, was the first person to interest him in the 
subject of insurance, and employed him as a solicitor in Eastern Connecticut. At the age 
of twenty-two, ]\Ir. Enders came to Hartford, and continued to. reside in that cit\- and West 
Hartford until his death. For a brief peiiod he was a clerk in the dry goods store of Mr. 
Joseph Langdon. Entering the employ of the ^E^tna Life Insurance Company as clerk, he 
w-as from the outset an in\aluable cooperator with Pres. E. A. Bulkeley. By close application 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 429 

he gained a comprehensive knowledge of the intricate details of life insurance, and four years 
later, then in his twenty-fourth year, he was elected secretary of the companj^ Upon the 
death of Hon. Eliphalet Bulkeley, in 1872, he was chosen president, and the advancement 
was but a step along the line of legitimate promotion. He held this position until he was 
succeeded, in 1879, by ex-Gov. IMorgan G. Bulkeley, son of the former president. It was 
during the period covered by Mr. Enders's management that the ^tna made such rapid strides 
as to become one of the largest and strongest life companies in the United States. He was a 
prudent and sagacious manager, and the true principles of safe life underwriting seemed to 
be born in him. A conservative investor and exceptionally well-skilled in the manao'ement 
of finances, he early foresaw the development of the life underwriting business in this country, 
and used every opportunity to advance his company's interests by enlarging its field of opera- 
tions and strengthening its resources. 

In " Hartford in 1889," a volume published by the Board of Trade, occurs the following 
paragraph regarding one feature of the ^^tna's success : 

Success far transcending the dreams of the founders, and ou the whole perhaps uuequaled in the records 
of life insurance, either in Europe or America, is easil}- explained in the light of the facts. One of the postu- 
lates of the business demands that investments shall yield an annual incom^ of four per cent., the excess bein<^ 
available either for immediate distribution among the insured, or for building up a fund held in reserve to 
meet claims maturing many years hence, when the rate of interest on approved security will certainly fall 
below that figure. The .^Jtna Life was a pioneer in loaning to western farmers, having entered the field under 
highly favorable conditions. At the time when its treasury began to be distended by the volume of inflowing 
premiums, the Illinois Central railway had a large number of outstanding contracts with settlers on their lands, 
agreeing to convey titles on payment of the purchase money. Both sides desired the completion of the contracts. 
At this juncture, the vEtna Life came forward and furnished the needful funds, taking mortgages on the farms 
as security. All the early loans bore interest at ten per cent. The arrangement proved highl}' advantageous to 
both lender and borrower. The fertility of the soil attracted heavy immigration, with consequent enhancement 
in the value of the properties. While the company had abundant reason to be satisfied, thousands of farmers 
rose from poverty to wealth by the aid thus afforded them. As the region grew rich, and the loans were paid 
off, the company pushed westward into Iowa, repeating the process on the same terms. Employing only trained 
and faithful agents, it seldom met with defaults, and when compelled to foreclose generally succeeded, by 
patience, in drawing a profit from the transaction. The perils of growing competition were met by increase of 
carefulness, one of the rules being to loan, in no case, in excess of the value assessed for taxation. 

For two years after his retirement from the presidency of the ^?5tna Life Insurance Com- 
pany, ]\Ir. Enders sought relief from the arduous business cares of the quarter of a ccuturj' 
previous. But a man of his recognized financial and executive ability coidd not be permitted 
to remain idle. In 1881, he was elected president of the United States Trust Company, which 
later became the United States Bank, succeeding ex-Gov. Morgan G. Bulkeley in the control 
of its affairs. In his management of the bank he displayed the same efficiency in direction 
and capacitj' for handling large mercantile problems whicli characterized his methods while at 
the head of the life company. The bank, which had always been a remarkablv successful 
institution, soon advanced to the front rank of Hartford's financial corporations, and has 
occupied an enviable prominence among the banks of the state. Feeling the need of rest and 
total abstinence from business cares, Mr. Enders retired from the presidency of the bank in 
1892, and was succeeded by Henn,' L,. Bunce. After that date he devoted himself to the care 
of his large private interests, having in the period of his nearly two score years of business 
activity accumulated a handsome competency. 

Mr. Enders retained a directorship in the .^tna Life Insurance Company, and held similar 
official relations with the ^^tna Insurance Company, the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and 
Insurance Company, the Society for Savings, the Dime Savings Bank, the Charter Oak 
National Bank and the United States Bank. He was interested financially in various com- 
panies where the management lay in other hatids. In political affairs I\Ir. Enders was an 

55 



43° 



REPRESENTATIl'E MEN 



energetic Republican, and his influential -work was appreciated both by members of his own 
party and those of the opposition. In 1889, and again in 1891, he represented the town of 
West Hartford in the lower branch of the state legislature, serving the first year as chairman 
of the committee on appropriations, and in the latter year as chainnan of the committee on 
banks. For both of these positions he was well fitted by previous training, and he made a good 
record as a capable legislator. Mr. Enders was a regular attendant at St. John's Church, and 
was a member of the Masonic fraternity. He was a man of most exemplary personal character, 
and he was in the fullest degree a representative of the best financial and business integrity, 
not only of Hartford, but of the whole state of Connecticut. 

Mr. Enders married Harriet, daughter of Dennis Burnham, Esq., of Hartford. She sur- 
vives him with two sons, Dr. Thomas O. Enders of New York, and John O. Enders, discount 
clerk at the United States Bank. A son and a daughter have died. After suffering for nearly 
two years from spinal sclerosis, he passed away on the night of June 21, 1894. His funeral 
was one of the largest held for some years. The officers and clerks of the ^-Etna Insurance Com- 
pany and of the United States Bank were present in a body, and the floral tributes were 
numerous and handsome. 




3HENEY, BENJAMIN HICKS, M. D., of New Haven, was born in Vicksburg, 
Miss., Oct. 10, 1838. Dr. Cheney's childhood and youth was passed in New 
York City, where he received his primary education in the public schools and 
later attended the free academy, now the College of the City of New York. 
Afterwards he entered Wesleyan University and completed his studies at Amherst 
College. Medical practice being attractive to his tastes, he commenced the study of its princi- 
ples in 1857, and attended lectures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York. 
Havinof decided to make his residence in the South, he went to New Orleans and entered the 
University of Louisiana, from which he graduated in March, 1861. The startling scenes of 
the opening of the War of the Rebellion were just commencing, and though of Southern 
birth. Dr. Cheney was Northern in his spirit, and he at once came to the North and offered 
his services to the United States Government. His first appointment was that of acting 
assistant-surgeon of the United States arm}^, being stationed at Camp Chase, near Columbus, 
Ohio. He was soon after commissioned assistant-surgeon of the Forty-first Ohio Regiment, 
and later still w:as appointed assistant staff surgeon on the staff of Alaj. -Gen. John Crittenden, 
commanding the Twenty-first Army Corps. After the battle of Chickamauga, he was transferred 
to the staff of the Fourth Army Corps as medical pur\^eyor and assistant to the medical director 
of the corps. He was in active ser\dce in all the campaigns of the Army of the Cumberland 
up to the capture of Atlanta. At this point, for family reasons, he tendered his resignation. 
Returning again to the ser\-ice in 1864, he was appointed one of the examining surgeons in 
the provost-marshal's bureau for the sixth district of Illinois, with headquarters at Joliet. 
Wherever Dr. Cheney was placed during his term of service, in the field, in the hospital or 
as an examining surgeon, he rendered most valuable assistance to his superior officers and 
contributed his full quota to bringing about the final victory of the Union anns. 

After the close of the war Dr. Chene}- remained in Joliet till 1870, when seeking a wider 
opportunity for the practice of his chosen profession, he removed to Chicago. As far back as 
1866, he had become interested in the principles of homeopathy and read numerous works on 
the subject. He also experimented with homeopathic remedies, and the result of his iuvesti- 



OF COXNECTICUT, 1S61-1894. 431 

gations convinced him of the trnth of the new doctrine, and induced him to adopt it as the 
guide of his future practice. In Chicago he formed a partnership with Dr. G. D. Beebe, one 
of the leaders of the homeopathic faith in that section, and this connection lasted till 1871, 
when the great fire destroyed both his home and practice, compelling him to seek a new field 
of labor elsewhere. Finding an opening in New Haven, he removed to Elm City, where he 
has since remained. 

In the cit\' of his adoption. Dr. Cheney has been honored bv his fellow-citizens, and the 
official stations he has filled show that his professional ability is appreciated. For eight years 
he was a member of the Examining Boai'd of Pension Surgeons, and for six years he served 
as one of the city Board of Health. He has naturally taken much interest in the societies 
pertaining to his branch of medical science, and is a member of the city and state Homeo- 
pathic Medical Societies, having been president of both. His arm}- experience entitled him 
to join, and he has become a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the military 
order of the Loyal Legion. 

In 1870, Dr. Cheney was elected a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy, and 
the following year he became associate editor of the " Medical Investigator," a position which 
gave him an excellent opportunity for the display of his literary talents. Dr. Cheney has not 
only contributed to the advancement of medical science b}- example and practice, but also by 
numerous short articles in scientific journals has he aided in upholding the noble cause of 
homeopathy. Realizing that even now the principles discovered b}' Hahnneman are greath- 
misunderstood, he has done valiant battle for the cause he has espoused. 

He is descended from William Cheney who was born in Essex County, England, in the 
year 1604, and settled in Roxbury, 1635. This pioneer died in 1667, leaving a family behind 
him whose names are closely connected with the early histories of Roxbury and Cambridge. 
Dr. Cheney's father, the Rev. Laban Clark Cheney, was the third sou of John B. Cheney, the 
sixth in the direct line of eldest sons, beginning with William the pioneer. 

I\Iay 10, 1863, Dr. Cheney was married to Sarah, daughter of Algemon Sidney and Salome 
Glidden Austin. Mr. Austin was a leading ship builder of Newcastle, Me., and was an ex- 
member of the ]\Iaine legislature. The Austin and Glidden families figure in the early settle- 
ment of Massachusetts and IMaine. They now have four children, three sons and one daughter. 
Benjamin Austin is instructor in ob.stetrics and g}-nsecology at Yale College ; Arthur Sanford 
took the thesis prize at Yale Medical School, and is now assistant-surgeon in the Stefane Hos- 
pital at Reichenberg, Austria; Harold C. is preparing for college, and Alice J. is still under 
the paternal roof. 




lALL, JOHN MANNING, of Willimantic, vice-president of the New York, New 



^TThATTjI^ ^^' J*^^^^^ -M-AiMNiiNij, 01 wiHimautic, vice-presKieni: 01 me i.\ew lorK., i\ew 
^ r-S-il^ 'J^\ Haven & Hartford Railroad Company and ex-judge of the Superior Court, was 
born in the city where he resides, Oct. 16, 1841. 

The great mass of the English Halls undoubtedly are the posterity of the 
men of Halle who came in the successive Saxon invasions of England. They 
were called De la Halle, which became a surname and is now simply Hall. It is said that 
the Halls of Great Britain exceed in number any other name except those of Smith. Jones, 
Brown and Robinson. The branch of the family to which Judge Hall belongs traces its 
genealogical line to George Hall, who came from England when a young lad of nine years old 
and settled at Ouidnic, R. I., where he was judge of the general court for twenty years. 
His son, Dixon Hall, removed to Sterling, Conn., where he held many oflfices of trust and 



432 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

honor in the town and connty. Horace Hall, son of Dixon, was a man of ninch prominence 
in his day, being selectman for thirteen years and justice of the peace for twice that time, 
was representative to the legislature several times, and was superintendent of the New England 
Cotton ]\Iaiuifacturing Compau)' for nearly a score of years. He married Elizabeth, daughter 
of John Manning of Albany, by whom he had three children, and of these only John M., the 
youngest, is now living. 

After obtaining all that the public schools of Willimantic could give in the wa\' of educa- 
tion, he took a year at Dr. Fitch's then famous school at South Windham, and after that for 
two or three years devoted himself to mercantile life in his father's business in Willimantic. 
It was while watching the numerous trials held before his father as justice of the peace that 
young Hall acquired a taste for the law, and one day suggested to his father that he would 
like to become a lawyer. Receiving encouragement and the promise of such assistance as he 
could give, in less than a month thereafter young Hall was enrolled as a student at Williston 
Seminary, Easthampton, Mass. Here, by hard work, he crowded the three years' course into 
two, graduating among the first in his class, and entered Yale in the fall of icS62. At Yale he 
won distinction as a writer and speaker, capturing many literary honors in debate and com- 
position. He received the Townsend prize, competed for the DeForest Medal, was president 
of the Linonia Society, and elected a member of the famous "Skull and Bones" society. After 
graduation at Yale, in 1866, he entered Columbia Law School, graduating in 1868, and also 
studied in the ofhce of Mr. Robert Benner, and was admitted to the New York City bar. 

Returning to W^illimantic, Mr. Hall began the practice of law in that city. His list of 
clients soon began to grow in numbers, and in a few years extended into Windham, Tolland 
and New London counties, and to such an extent that in the first-named county, during the last 
years of his practice, it was the exception when he was not found on one side or the other 
of any case in which large issues were involved. One of the most important cases in which 
he was engaged was that of the Willimantic Trust Company, about ^40,000 being involved. 
The company had been petitioned into insolvency and receivers appointed, when it was dis- 
covered that certain of the stockholders had sold their stock to the company and pocketed the 
proceeds just previous to the financial crash. Claim was made that this action was illegal, 
and that the money so obtained should be refunded and placed among the assets of the com- 
pany. Judge Hall appeared for the receivers, and there was a brilliant array of counsel for 
the other side. The case was bitterly fought and was finally carried to the Supreme Court, 
where a decision was rendered in liis favor. This decision established a precedent for all 
similar cases, and the able way in which it was handled was a notable triumph of legal skill. 
When appointed a judge of the Superior Court, in 1889, he was recognized by his associates as 
the leader of the bar in Windham County, who complimented him upon his election by a 
memorable banquet at the Hooker House, which was attended by the entire bar of the county. 

Judge Hall has had an honorable legislative experience. In 1870, when he was barely 
twenty-nine years old, he was sent to the General Assembly as the representative of Willi- 
mantic, and was reelected the two following years. For the year named he was chairman of 
one and a member of several of the minor committees. During the second year the question 
arose about the election of governor, fraud being claimed in New Haven and other places. 
Judge Hall made some vigorous speeches from the floor of the House, and was appointed a 
member of the committee of investigation, making everywhere a favorable impression. He 
was also a member of the judiciary committee, and during the session was made chairman. 
He was chairman of the railroad committee, and a member of other committees for the 
session of 1872. His fellow-citizens called upon him again, in i88i, to represent their inter- 
ests at the state capital, where he served as a member of the judiciary committee and as 



OF CONNECTICUT, i86i-i8g4. 433 

chairman of the committee on senatorial districts, and, in 1882, he was chosen to the speaker's 
chair by a handsome vote. He filled this position with urbanity, and gained the respect of 
his political opponents by the fairness of his decisions. In 1889, Judge Hall was chosen 
senator from the Seventeenth District, and was appointed chairman of the judiciary com- 
mittee, and was elected president pro tern, of the Senate. While the session was in progress, 
he was appointed judge of the Superior Court, and after a trip to Europe, he returned to his 
home in Willimantic. His course reflected honor upon the position he occupied and proved 
conclusively that the appointment was most fitlv made. 

At the annual meeting of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company, in 
October, 1893, Judge Hall was elected vice-president of the road. The company had need 
of the legal services of a man of his capacity and experience, and the events which have 
elapsed since show clearly that the selection was wise. The appointment was hailed by the 
press, in the state and out of it, with most flattering comments. An editorial in the New 
Havoi Leader read as follows : 

The selection of Judge John M. Hall of Willimniitic, as the successor of Lucius Tuttle, who resigned the vice- 
presidency of the Consolidated road recenth', is a most admirable one. Judge Hall is a genial, cultured and 
talented gentleman. He is not a practical railroad man, but the position he is to occupy is that of a corporate, 
legal adviser, which will bring with it large responsibilities and a need for legal knowledge and wise business 
discretion, which have always been Judge Hall's strongest characteristics. As a lawyer, Judge Hall had a very 
large and important practice. He was very successful in all the great cases in which he appeared before the 
higher courts. As a judge, he has been universally liked, and his conduct of cases has won very sincere appro- 
bation from his associates on the bencH, and from members of the bar. There is great regret among all the lawyers 
of the state that so good a judge is to retire. Judge Hall will fill his new positiou to the entire satisfaction 
of the directors and stockholders of the Consolidated road, and also to the putdic. He has ornamented every 
position that he has ever held, and he has gained steadily in public estimation from the time he first appeared 
before the people until the present day. His character is without a blemish ; his reputation is untarnished ; 
his ability is great; his popularity extensive. Born in Connecticut, reared in Connecticut, and having spent 
his life in Connecticut — climbing from the bottom of the ladder to the highest round thereof — there is every 
reason why the whole people of Connecticut should wish Judge Hall Godspeed and rejoice at his prosperity, 
and in the fact that the great Consolidated railroad is to have among its active managers a gentleman so well, 
widely and favorably known. 

The opinion of the Hartford Coiirant was along the same lines : 

The directors of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad on Saturday elected to the place of first 
vice-president. Judge John M. Hall of Willimantic, as Lucius Tuttle's successor. This was a surprise to the 
public, who had expected to see some practical railroad man, as near as might be like Mr. Tuttle, chosen to 
the place. Instead, the directors have taken a lawyer, and, while they are about it, a good one. Judge Hall is 
in the prime of life, — not too old to learn what he needs to know of practical railroading, and old enough so 
that he brings to his position mature judgment and a large experience of men and affairs. He is an accom- 
plished gentleman, and an able and brilliant lawyer. His keen and active mind will be of constant value in the 
management of this now immense corporation, and the company is stronger for securing his services. .Vnd 
Judge Hall himself steps into a handsome salary and a place of large power and usefulness. 

In Willimantic Judge Hall has held about all the offices in the gift of the people. He 
was for several years acting school visitor, and was the first to write a report favoring the 
consolidation of the .school districts. He early advocated the establishment of the high 
school, and was chairman of the first high school committee appointed. In 1872, he advo- 
cated a more modern charter for the borough and was the committee to draft the same, and 
the charter has remained until the charter of the new city, which was adopted in 1893, 
and in the drafting of which he had a prominent part. At an early day, he advocated a 
liberal system of public improvements, which resulted in better streets, sidewalks, curbing 
and street lines, and finally the excellent system of sewers, of which committee he was 
chairman during its existence. 

He has been a member of the State Bar Association since its organization, and for a 
number of years he was one of the executive committee of that organization. Casting his 



434 REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

first vote for Abraham Lincoln, Judge Hall has ever been one of the most active of Republi- 
cans. The principles of the party have at all times been given the cordial support of his 
voice and pen, and in the use of both his opponents will bear witness that he is most effec- 
tive. Having worn the judicial ermine for five years, with an honorable career behind him, 
and now the occupant of a most responsible office, Judge Hall has but just entered on the 
second half century of existence, and the future has doubtless yet higher honors in store 
for his acceptance. 

Judge John ]\I. Hall was married Sept. 27, 1871, to Julia White, daughter of Silas F. 
Loonier, president of the Willimantic Savings Institute. Three children have been born to 
them, all of whom are now living. John L., the oldest, graduated at Yale in the class 
of 1894. In 1893, he took the "Ten Eyck " prize, and was elected to the "Skull 
and Bones " Society, and in his senior year was elected class orator, won a Townsend 
oration and then took the DeForest gold medal, the highest Yale honor. This is a record 
never excelled, if ever equalled. He will now enter the Yale Law School. 







IBBITS, JOHN ARNOLD, of New London, ex-collector of the port and ex- 
consul to Bradford, England, was born in the city where he died, in February, 
"Wi^i 1844. His death occurred July 22, 1893. 
^^ R:^!?^ Early in life, says the New London Telegram^ he manifested the quali- 

ties that made his brilliant career in so many different walks a matter of 
easy prophec}-. His school days were a record of creditable achievement in the district and 
Bartlett High schools. East Hampton, and later at Williams College, where, though his stay 
was but half the usual course, his abilities attracted the attention of the faculty, and enlisted 
their good will and encouragement in the endeavor to win honors which were in easj' reach 
to one so gifted by nature. His schoolboy compositions were noticeably easj* and graceful in 
style, and gave evidence of reasoning faculties and a fund of information that were remark- 
able for his years. He was, in fact, a natural writer, and in that direction his journalistic 
associates at least have always thought lay the road to his highest possibilities of usefulness 
and fame. Like many other young men who were entering upon the serious business of 
life at the outbreak of the war, service to his country had the first claim, and though he 
had begun with Judge George Goddard the study of law, his chosen profession, it was inter- 
rupted for several years while he was at the front. 

His militaiy record was one to be proud of, and his comrades in the fighting Fourteenth 
were always his cherished friends in after life. Major Tibbits's army career began with 
his enlistment in the Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers, which left the state Aug. 28, 1862, 
and was in action for the first time September 17, at Antietam. While climbing over a 
stone wall during the engagement, Sergeant Tibbetts, waving his sword in his right 
hand, was a mark for a sharpshooter and a ininie ball came whizzing through the air, 
striking the palm of his right hand and coursing up his arm to a point above his wrist, 
where it came out. Nothing daunted by his wound, he changed the sword to his left hand 
and was almost immediateh- struck by another ball, which entered his left arm above the 
wrist and came out through the palm of his hand. These wounds placed him liors dii 
combat. As soon after the engagement as possible, he was sent home and for a long time 
remained there until his wounds had healed, and he was ready again to take up arms in 
defence of the country and his principles. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 435 

He \vas promoted to the second lieutenantcy of Company F, of the Fourteenth, and in 
that capacity participated in the battle of Gettysliurg, where the Fourteenth bore a distin- 
guished part, and a full share of the glor}- of the day and the regiment was won by Lieuten- 
ant Tibbits. Subsequently he was appointed captain and commissar}' of subsistence, and 
assigned to Custer's division under Sheridan, serving in the Shenandoah \'alley. He was 
conspicuous for attention to duty and gallantry in action in this capacity as in the line, until 
the close of the war, and his term of service ended only with the end of the war after the 
terrible campaign of the Wilderness. He was bre\-etted major, a promotion he had earned, 
and his comrades, in whatever branch of the service the}- had shared, sum up his qualifica- 
tions and military career by saying he was a good soldier. 

Mr. Tibbits's journalistic career was a long and brilliant one. Immediately after his 
return from the war, he purchased an interest in T/ic Star, then published by Da\-id S. 
Ruddock, and continued as editor of the paper until 1872, when T/ic Sfar was absorbed by 
a new company composed of Courtland I. Shepard, John A. Tibbits and John C. Turner. 
This company began the publication of T/ic Telegram, and Mr. Tibbits assumed editorial 
control until 1881, when he formed a new company to issue The Day. Into The Day he 
threw his whole ambition, and the paper gained a widespread reputation in a remarkably 
short period of time. He continued as its editor up to the time of his accepting the post 
of consul to Bradford, England. As a newspaper man, Vlx. Tibbits had the versatility of 
genius. Some of his reportorial work never was excelled. His report for The Day of the 
famous Malley trial at New Haven, filling nearly a page dail}-, was a masterpiece of joixrnalistic 
work. Mr. Tibbits's writing was as legible as fine copper-plate. His copy scarcely ever 
showed an alteration or interlineation. The last newspaper work he did was for The Day, 
and consisted of letters from Bradford, describing phases of English life as it came under 
his obser\-ation. Althotigh he had ceased to have a financial interest in the paper, he con- 
tinued to exhibit a lively concern in its growth and success. 

About 1866, Major Tibbits began the .study of the law with Hon. Augustus Brandegee, 
and almost simultaneously entered the political field, making speeches in the campaigns and 
doing yeoman service up to and including the last political campaign. His political life was 
eminently characteristic of the man. He was an ardent partisan, believing in the princi- 
ples and destiny of his party with a faith that never wavered and admitted of no compro- 
mise in thought, word or deed. But though he entered the lists at every political tourney, 
and fought with a zeal and energ}- unsurpassed, even his bitterest part}- opponents were free 
to say that he was an honest politician, a distinction that is all the more honorable for its 
rarity. He was an accomplished speaker, ready, graceful and forcible, and possessed the gift 
of rousing his audiences to enthusiasm. In this state he had spoken in every town and 
hamlet, beginning indeed with a patriotic address in the early days of the war, at the meet- 
ing-house at Quaker Hill, and the Republican central committee recognized his abilitv in 
the last four presidential campaigns by sending him into other states where the need of 
speakers of ability called for their best. In 1S84, he made the campaign of Indiana with 
James G. Blaine, and received many compliments from that gentleman on his ability, which 
were well merited. 

He habitually overworked himself in ever}- campaign, and as regularly took to his bed 
when the battle was over and the excitement ended, with his ner\-ous system for the time 
shattered. He never learned to spare himself, and to this more than any other cause is due his 
untimely death. His political word was never broken : it was as good as his bond, and so 
accepted by political friend and foe alike. Had he spent as much time and energy on his 



436 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

own account, liarv-esting political rewards, as he gave to the service of his friends, he would 
have reached the highest places of honor and profit long ago. When he put his hand to 
the plough in behalf of his friends, he never looked back. 

There has been no movement of importance to the city of New London in the past thirty 
years in which Major Tibbits did not have a hand, and he was wise in counsel and active 
in work for the city's good. He bore his share of municipal service, having been judge of 
the police court, a member of the board of education, city attorney, and twice he has 
represented the town in the General Assembly, the last time in the session of 18S5, his 
town and himself having been honored by his election to the speaker's chair, in which 
place he won the praise of the press of the state without distinction of party, for his able 
and impartial management of the affairs of the House. 

Major Tibbits's first federal ofhce was the gift of General Grant's administration, an 
appointment as Pacific railroad director on behalf of the United States government. This 
was early in the seventies, and, in 1877, President Hayes appointed him collector of the port 
of New London. At the expiration of his term he was reappointed by President Arthur. 
His administration of the trust was business-like and acceptable to all who had any con- 
nection with the office. 

The last office filled by Major Tibbits was United States consul at Bradford, England, 
a post he vacated just before his death. This appointment to such an important consulate 
was a source of much pride and gratification to his friends, who had felt that the party 
had never before adequately recognized the long and valuable ser\-ices of ]\Iajor Tibbits. 
A brilliant career was predicted for him in England, which was but partially realized owing to 
his ill health which continued during his entire stay abroad. In Bradford the public appear- 
ances of Major Tibbits stamped him in the English mind as an accomplished speaker, and 
his administration of the consular office was exceptionally good and satisfactory to the 
Bradford merchants. They took pleasure in testifying to their esteem for the American 
consul by paying unusual honors when the time came for his departure for home, and his 
family have souvenirs of their residence in Bradford that show the affection and regard of 
their English friends. 

In the discharge of any public duty Major Tibbits was particularly conscientious, mak- 
ing it a point to be prompt and thorough and to leave nothing open for criticism, a quality 
that was well known and appreciated by his superiors and the public. It is rather a 
singular commentary on politics that as prominent a factor as was Major Tibbits in all the 
political moves in Connecticut, yet he was never a candidate on the state ticket. In 1886, 
however, he was brought forward as a candidate for governor on the Republican ticket, but 
coming late into the field, already occupied by two candidates of unusual strength, he had 
but one chance, in the possible division of the convention so evenly that neither of the 
prominent candidates could hope to win, in which case the prize would have gone to the 
major without dispute and he would have been elected b}- the people be\-ond a doubt, as 
he had the numerous assurances of support from the younger element of the Democratic 
party that would have materialized on election day and made him the choice of the people. 

Some of his warmest friends and admirers were in the Democratic party in various 
portions of the state, and they would have been glad of an opportunity to show their 
appreciation of the man and his abilities by promoting him to the highest office in the 
state. It was a pleasant episode in ]Major Tibbits's life, though he failed in his ambition, 
for he received so many assurances of good will that he never had reason to doubt ever 
after the personal esteem of his friends. It is as a politician that his name is best known, 
and his family and friends have the pleasant memory that it is unconnected with any 
questionable political act. 



OF CONNECTICUT, t86i-i8()4. 437 

The several occupations of Major Tibbits's busj- life at times di\-orcecl him from the 
law, a mistress that will tolerate no divided allegiance. He had neither the time nor the 
inclination to pnrsue its study and practice with that absorbing interest and industry that 
are alone crowned with success. Yet he was a brilliant advocate and liis counsel was 
valued by his brothers in the law with whom he was from time to time associated. Soon 
after he was admitted to practice he formed a law partnership with ex-Governor Waller, 
his life long friend, which was mutually satisfactory and closed onh^ on account of other 
duties absorbing the major's time. When ex-Governor Waller's turn came to leave the 
practice of the law to ser\-e the government abroad as consul general at London, he in- 
stinctively turned to ]\Iajor Tibbits to fill his place in his law iirm, which became Waller 
Tibbits & Waller and continued in successful practice until the major left for his own post 
in Bradford. As a lawyer Major Tibbits took for his chief model Hon. Augustus Brandegee, 
with whom he began the study of the law with serious purpose after the war, and his 
ambition was to resemble that gentleman as an advocate before juries. 

In any of the several occupations that Major Tibbits has pursued since his young man- 
hood, he could have won the blue ribbon had he devoted himself exclusively to a sino-le 
one, but it was not in his nature to plod along in any one path, and he followed his bent 
achieving success as everyone knows, and fulfilling his duty to the world in his own wa3' 
and with an honest purpose. To tho.se who were favored with close relations to him the 
memory of his life is precious. He was a good friend and a delightful companion and 
incapable of jealousy or animosit}'. He was singularly forgiving, and no matter how bitter 
a controversy he might be engaged in, he emerged with no scars of the conflict nor any 
scores to pay. No man loved his native place with a warmer, stronger love. New London 
was to him the center of the universe, no other place compared with it and no advantage 
in life could have compensated him for a long absence from its familiar scenes and friends. 

John A. Tibbits was married Februan- 19, 1873, to Lydia, daughter of John Dennis. 
She survives him with one son named after his maternal grandfather. 




;^?LEAIENS, SAMUEL LANGHORNE, of Hartford, author, perhaps better known 
by his nom de plume, " JiLark Twain," was born in Florida, Monroe County, 
Mo., Nov. 30, 1835. 

Receiving a limited education in the village school at Hannibal, Mo., he 
was apprenticed to a printer at the age of thirteen and worked at his trade in 
St. Louis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and New York. In 1851, Mr. Clemens became a pilot on 
Mississippi river steamboats, and ten years later he went to Nevada as private secretary to 
his brother who had been appointed secretary of the territory. Afterward he undertook 
mining in Nevada, and became, in 1862, city editor of the Virginia City Enterprise. In 
reporting legislative proceedings from Carson, he signed his letters " Mark Twain," a name 
suggested by the technical pliraseology of Mississippi navigation where, in sounding a depth 
of two fathoms, the leadsman called out " mark twain." He went to San Francisco in 1865, 
and was for fi\'e months a reporter on the Morning Call, then tried gold mining in the placers 
of Calaveras County, and having no success he returned to San Francisco and resumed news- 
paper work. In 1866, he spent six months in the Hawaiian Islands. 

After his return, says " Appleton's Cyclopedia," he delivered humorous lectures in 
California and Nevada, and then returned East and published " The Jumping Frog and other 
Sketches." The same year he went with a party of tourists to the Mediterranean, Egypt and 

56 



43S REPRESENTATH'E MEN 

Palestine, and on his retnrn published an amnsing journal of the excursion entitled " Innocents 
Abroad," of which twenty-five thousand copies were sold in three years. He next edited the 
Buffalo Express. After his marriage he settled in Hartford, and still makes his home in 
that city. 

Mr. Clemens delivered witty lectures in various cities, contributed sketches to the 
" Galaxy " and other magazines, and in 1872 he went to England on a lecturing trip. While 
he was there, a London publisher issued an unauthorized collection of his writings in four 
volumes, in which were included papers he never wrote. The same year appeared in Hartford 
" Roughing It," containing sketches of Nevada, Utah, California and the Sandwich Islands, 
and in 1873, in conjunction with Charles Dudley Warner, a story entitled " The Gilded Age," 
which was dramatized and produced in New York in 1874. This comedy, with John T. 
Ravmond in the leading part. Col. Mulberry Sellers, had an extraordinary success. He subse- 
quently published " Sketches, Old and New," " Adventures of Tom Sawyer," a story of boy 
life in Missouri (1876), "Punch, Brothers, Punch" (1878), "A Tramp Abroad" (1880), 
"The Stolen White Elephant," and "The Prince and the Pauper" (1882), and "Life on 
the Mississippi " (1883). 

In 1884, Mr. Clemens established in New York the publishing house of C. L. Webster 
& Co., which issued, in 1885, a new stors', "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," a sequel to 
" Tom Sawyer," and in that and the following year brought out General Grant's " Memoirs." 
The share in the profits accruing to Mrs. Grant frona this publication, under a conti^act signed 
with Gen. Grant before his death, amounted in October, 1886, to $350,000, which was paid 
to her in two checks, of $200,000 and $150,000. Mr. Clemens's works have been republished 
in England, and translations of the principal ones in Germany. The later experiences of 
C. L- Webster & Co. were not as successful as their early operations. Under the title of 
" Puddin' Head Wilson," he is now (Jnly, 1894), issuing a serial which is attracting much 
attention. 

In an article by George F. Ferris, in " Appleton's Journal," occurs the following estimate 
of " Mark Twain: " 

Of humor in its highest phase, perhaps Bret Harte may be considered the most puissant master among 
our contemporary American writers. Of wit, we see next to none. Mark Twain, while lacking the subtility and 
pathos of the other, has more breadth, variety and ease. His sketches of life are arabesque in their strange 
combinations. Bits of bright, serious description, both of landscape and society, carry us along until suddenly 
we come upon some master stroke of grotesque irresistible form. He understands the value of repose in art. 
One tires of a page where every sentence sparkles with points, and the author is constantly attitudinizing for 
our aumsement. We like to be betrayed into laughter, as much in books as in real life. It is the unconscious, 
easy, careless gait of Mark Twain that gives his humor the most potent charm. He seems always to be catering 
as much to his own enjoyment as that of the public. He strolls along like a great, rollicking schoolboy, bent on 
having a good time, and determined that his readers shall enjoy it with him. 

Mark Twain's early literary training was that of a writer for newspapers, where news was scarce and hard 
to get, and the public demanded their intellectual fare dressed in the hottest, strongest condiments. Is it not 
natural that we should see distinct and powerful traces of this method in all his later work? In spite of this fault, 
our writer is so thoroughly genial, so charged w'ith rich and unctious humor, that we forget the lack oi finesse and 
delicacy in its breadth and strength. Its tap root takes no deep hold in the sub-soil, and we maj- not always find 
a subtile and penetrating fragrance in its blooms. But these are so lavish, bright and variegated, that we should 
be ungrateful indeed not to appreciate our author's striking gifts at their full worth. "Innocents Abroad " and 
■' Roughing It " are the most thoroughly enjoyable examples of Mark Twain's humor. While they are not to be 
altogether admired as intellectual workmanship, the current of the humor is so fresh, so full of rollicking, 
grotesque fun, that it is more than easy to overlook faults, both in style and method. 






OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18(^4. 439 

^^T7V^ AVrJ^INES, H. WALES, of Merideu, president and treasurer of the H. Wales Lines 
*\wK^? Compan}^ and of the Meriden Lumber Company, was born in Naugatuck, Conn., 
I^fe. June 3/1838. 

'j^^^ \ Mr. Ivines possesses an extra share of Revolutionary blood in his veins, 

as he is a "Son of the Revolution" by three direct branches of the family 
tree. He is a great-grandson of Enos Bunnell, who was a private soldier in the Ninth 
Company of the First Connecticut Regiment, commanded by Colonel David Wooster, in 1775. 
He occupies a similar relationship to Elisha Stevens, a private soldier in Captain Clarke's 
company of artificers, who were in the service of their country for five years. The third 
great-grandfather was Walter Booth, a private soldier in the Third Company of the Fifth 
Battalion, commanded bj- Colonel William Douglas. Calvin Lines and his wife, nee vSallie 
Booth, were old residents of Bethany, Conn. His son, Henry W. Lines, married Harriet 
Bunnell, and settled in Naugatuck. H. Wales was one of the children by this union. 

After graduating at Naugatuck High School, young Lines decided to learn the trade of 
a mason, and carried out this idea by going to work for a new concern. The practical lessons 
gained in these early days have been invaluable to him in his subsequent career. In 1862, he 
removed to Middletown and still continued to work at his trade. Two years later, Mr. Lines 
formed a copartnership, under the firm name of Perkins & Lines, for the purpose of dealing 
in building materials, and also to act as general contractors for all kinds of mason work. Mr. 
Perkins retired in 1878, and the firm of H. Wales Lines & Co. was formed, the partners being 
Mr. Lines and ]\Ir. H. E. Fairchild. Ten years later another change occurred, the business 
being converted into a joint stock company under the title of the H. Wales Lines Compau}'. 
The present officials are H. Wales Lines, president and treasurer; Henry E. Fairchild, vice- 
president ; L. A. iMiller, secretary. These gentlemen, with F. L. Hammond, form the board 
of directors. The company commenced with ample capital to carry on an extensive business, 
and their success has been phenomenal, taking in several of the New England states. Nine- 
tenths of the factories of Meriden were erected by them, the list including the plants of the 
Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company, the Meriden Britannia Company, and Edward 
IMiller & Company. Their handiwork may be found among the churches, school-houses, 
business blocks and fine residences of the city in great profusion. 

Another vigorous organization of which ]\Ir. Lines is the president is the Meriden Machine 
Tool Company, which commenced operations in 1890. The\' make a specialt}' of tools for 
the manufacture of silverware, and after building up a successful business in Meriden, they 
have extended their operations to distant states. He has been president of the New England 
Brown Stone Company since 1891, and is a director in the IMiddletown Bronze Company and 
the C. F. Munroe Company. The ^Meriden Lumber Company is one of the oldest and most 
prominent of the establishments in that branch of trade. The business was started by Con- 
verse & Clark, in 1867, and an evidence of their enterprise is shown in the fact that they were 
the first concern to ship lumber by car direct from the West. In March, 1S90, the present 
company was organized, and they have added greatly to the volume of business transacted b}' 
their predecessors. Its official board consists of H. Wales Lines, president ; F. G. Piatt, 
treasurer, and F'. Boardinan, secretary. Financial institutions have sought the advantage to 
be gained from his long experience and superior judgment. He is a trustee of the Meriden 
Savings Bank, and a member of DeBussy, Manwaring & Company of New Haven and 
Springfield. 

It was but natural that his fellow-citizens should desire to have him serve them in an 
official capacity. In 1872, Mr. Lines was elected to the lower branch of the state legislature, 
and for the years 1878-79, he was a member of the Senate. While in the Senate, he 



440 



REPRESENTA Til E MEN 



served as chairman of tlie coininittee on cities and boroughs, and also of the committee on 
contested elections, doing faithful and satisfactory work in each instance. Such is his popu- 
larity in Middletown that he was placed in the mayor's chair for three consecutive years, 
his term of office covering 1877-78-79. He was elected as a Repuhlican, being the first 
ma3-or chosen under strict party alignments. The Council was a tie the first year, but it 
contained a good Republican majority the two last years. During Mr. Lines's administra- 
tion, a complete revision of the city charter was made, and also a thorough reformation in 
regard to the running of the city by departments, and the system of keeping accounts 
introduced by him has been continued by the city officials ever since. It was the first year 
the cit\- had ever been managed within its income, and at the same time the debt was 
slighth- reduced. For his last year, he received two-thirds of all the votes cast, and was 
unanimously nominated for a fourth term, but he positively declined to accept the office 
loneer. His administration of the office was one of the most successful in the line of excel- 
lent mayors which ]\Iiddletown has possessed. In 188S, Mr. Lines was the Republican 
candidate for Congress from his district, but it was not a good year for candidates of that 
party. He was beaten by between seven and eight hundred votes, while Grover Cleveland 
received a majority of about twent}-fi\-e hundred, and the Democratic nominee for governor 
had thirty-two hundred. 

In all that pertains to the welfare of his adopted city, Mr. Lines has always taken a 
zealous interest. Every plan for advancing the material development of the city finds in him 
a read\- helper, and to many of the important improvements of the past he has contributed 
valuable assistance. The influence of the work he accomplished while in the mayor's chair 
is still felt at the citv hall, and he unconscioush' set a standard which later officials have 
simply striven to equal. Having but recently passed the half-century mark, Mr. Lines is 
now in the verv prime of his matured powers, and there are yet higher honors awaiting his 
acceptance in the future. 

H. Wales Lines was married in June, 1861, to Sarah C, daughter of Rev. Washington 
Munger, Baptist minister of Waterford, Conn. Four daughters were the result of this union, 
of whom all are now living and married. 




lUBBARD, LEVERETT MARSDEN, of Wallingford, attorney-at-law, and ex- 
secretary of state, was born at Durham, Conn., April 23, 1849. His grandfather, 
Eber Hubbard, moved from Massachusetts, when a young man, to Martins- 
burg, Lewis County, N. Y., and, in 1843, he transferred his residence to 
Alexandria Bav, where he made his home until his death. Rev. Eli Hubbard, 
father of Leverett M., was a distinguished pulpit orator, and for many years before his death, 
in 1868, had been a clergyman of note in ^Mississippi. He married a daughter of Mr. L- W. 
Leach, a prominent merchant and honored citizen of Durham. She was the only sister of 
Hon. L. M. Leach and Hon. Oscar Leach, both of whom are recognized as among the most 
substantial and influential men of Middlesex County. 

]\Ir. Hubbard was prepared for college at Wilbraham Academy, and entered Wesleyan 
University, but did not graduate. After leaving college, he decided to enter the legal profes- 
sion, and at once began the study of law at the Albany Law School, from which he was 
graduated in 1870. In August of the same year he located at Wallingford, and soon became 
marked by the bar of the county, as well as the communit}- at large, as a young man of fine 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 441 

spirit and rare intellectual endowments. From that time he has steadily grown in the confi- 
dence and esteem of the people, nntil now no lawyer of his age in New Haven County has 
more remunerative practice or is more widely known and thoroughly respected. From the 
beginning of his practice he has maintained an office connection in New Haven. To supple- 
ment the work of the law school he pursued his studies a year with the late Charles I\es. 
From 1874 to 1877 he was a law partner of Morris F. Tyler, and since that time he has been 
associated with John W. Ailing, one of the leading lawyers in the state. 

In the course of his practice, ]\Ir. Hubbard has been connected with several notable 
criminal cases. He was the original counsel of Rev. H. H. Harden, who was accused of 
the murder of Mary Stannard ; the trial lasted four months, and all the jury save one were 
understood to be in fa\or of acquittal. With the state's attorney, he assisted in securing 
the conviction of John Anderson, charged with killing Horatio G. Hall. The case was 
carried first to the Superior Court and finally to the Supreme Court, where a sentence of 
imprisonment for life was pronounced. He was the counsel for the state in the case of 
State z's. Frank Carroll, arraigned for the murder of jNIichael Eal}-. Gradually he has secured 
a large corporation practice, and is attorney for all the immense manufacturing establish- 
ments in Wallingford. 

]\Ir. Hubbard was appointed postmaster of his town by President Grant in 1872, an 
office he held by successive appointments iintil the inauguration of President Cleveland in 
1885, when he resigned with an unexpired commission for three vears. His administration 
of the office was marked by great fidelity, and an exceptionally intelligent conception of the 
requirements of the position which naturally secured for him the universal appreciation of 
the patrons. Upon his retirement he was tendered a complimentary banquet by citizens of 
both political parties, an affair which was widely remarked at the time for its elaborateness 
and the enthusiasm with which it was attended. 

Mr. Hubbard has been borough attorney for Wallingford since 1870, and counsel for 
the town during most of the same period. He has been a director in the First National 
Bank since its organization in 1S81. On the death of Mr. Samuel Simpson in the spring 
of 1894, who had been at the head of the Dime Savings Bank from its foundation twenty-five 
years ago, he was elected to the presidency. As he had controlled the management of the 
bank for some months during Mr. Simpson's illness, and had been a director for ten years, 
he was in every way qualified for the position. Since 1881, he has been a trustee of the 
Wesleyan Academy, Wilbraham, Mass., and served as a member of the committee on finances. 
Upon the establishment of a borough court for Wallingford by the legislature of 1886, he 
accepted the position of first judge, and is still discharging the duties of that office to the 
eminent satisfaction of the community. 

At the Republican State Convention, in 1886, 'Six. Hubbard was unanimously nominated 
as the candidate for secretar)- of state on the ticket with Gov. P. C. Lounsbury. He had the 
honor of receiving the largest vote of any one of his associates, running ahead of his ticket 
five hundred votes, and changing a normal Democratic majority of one hundred and seventy- 
five in Wallingford to a majority of fifty for himself. It is not too much to say that in 
dignity, ability and enterprise, Mr. Hubbard's administration as secretary has rarely been 
equalled and never excelled in the history of the state. Among the many noteworthy services 
he rendered while in that office, for which he was universally esteemed, was his preparation 
and publication of the most comprehensive and elaborate " Register and Manual of the State 
of Connecticut " ever issued. It has been the model upon which all subsequent editions have 
been fashioned, and is highly valued for its accuracy and \-ariety, and easily ranks among the 



442 



REPRESENTATIIE MEN 



most complete books of its kind ever compiled. Another feature deserving of mention was 
that through his special efforts the matter was arranged and the work brought out immediately 
after the close of the legislative session. 

Though he has invariably declined to allow his name to be used, he has been mentioned 
as a candidate for Congress from his district on several occasions. He was a delegate-at- 
large to the Republican National Convention which nominated President Harrison. 

In religious belief he is a IMethodist, but he attends the Congregational church and takes 
part in the management, giving freely of his time and money. IMr. Hubbard is esteemed 
throughout the community, of which he forms an important part, as an honorable and upright 
citizen, and he possesses great popularity among all classes and in both political parties. 

Mr. Hubbard was married May 21, 1873, to Florence G., daughter of Wooster Ives, a 
lineal descendant of Governor Wolcott and John Davenport, the first minister to New Haven. 
Four children have been born to them, all of whom are living: Georgiana, Samuel Wolcott, 
Leverett jMarsden, Jr., and Kenneth Daxenport. 




ilUCK, EDWIN A., of Willimantic, merchant and ex-state treasurer, was born 
in Ashford, Conn., Feb. 11, 1832. After passing through the common schools 
of his native town, one term at the Ashford Academy completed his education. 
He commenced teaching at eighteen, and for six years following he continued 
the occupation of teacher in the winter and of working on the farm during the 
summer months. In 1856, Mr. Buck really began the business of his life. At that time he 
engaged in the sale of sawed lumber, and this soon grew into an extensive trade, his specialties 
being car timber, plough handles and beams, and also chestnut finishing lumber, large quanti- 
ties of which were shipped to New York. Several water-power saw-mills and a small regin:ent 
of men were employed in supplying material. Just after the close of the war he purchased at 
bankrupt sale the property of the Westford Glass Company, and associating with him Capt. 
John S. Dean and Charles L. Dean, both residents of Ashford, he commenced the manufacture 
of glass under the firm name of E. A. Buck & Co. This firm made a valuable addition to the 
business interests of the town, as it gave employment in various capacities to about one hundred 
and fifty men. The lousiness was managed so successfully that it became necessary to establish 
houses both in New York and Boston, not only for the sale of the firm's goods, but other 
lines of goods not manufactured by them. As his lumber interests required his close attention, 
in 1874 Mr. Buck sold out the glass business. 

He was one of the original incorporators of the Stafford Savings Bank and was elected 
president of that institution, and for several years he was a director in the Stafford National 
Bank. Becoming interested in real estate in Willimantic, he resigned his offices in the 
Stafford banks in the autunni of 1875, and removed to that town, where he has since made 
his home. Two years later, Mr. Buck formed a partnership with Allen Lincoln of Willi- 
mantic and E. ]\I. Durfee of Ashford, for the purpose of carrying on the grain business, 
and soon after he bought out Crawford & Banford, hardware dealers at Stafford Springs, 
and located his eldest son at that place to look out for his interests. This business is still 
carried on in the same firm name of E. A. Buck & Compau)-, and besides this he has two 
other firms of E. A. Buck & Company, one in oil and the other in hardware at Palmer, jMass. 
In addition to the Willimantic firm of E. A. Buck & Company, dealers in hard wood lumber, 
of which firm Colonel INIarvin Knowlton is a member, he is also the head of the firm of E. A. 
Buck & Co., wholesale and retail dealers in flour and grain, his son, W. A. Buck, being the 
junior partner. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 443 

Financial matters have ahva^'s occnpied a share of Mr. Buck's attention, and his opinions 
have ever been vahied by contemporaries. In 1885, he was elected a director and the following 
year president of the \\'illimantic Savings Institute, and held the position for two )ears. 
During this time the bank passed through a very critical period of its history, caused by the 
irregulainties of its treasurer, but he finally placed it on a sound financial basis. 

It is but natural that men of Mr. Buck's stamp should be sought after to accept ofBcial 
station at the hands of their fellow-citizens, but he commenced his office-holding functions at 
an exceptionally early age. When he had barely attained his majority, he was elected con- 
stable of his native town, and in 1856, in his twenty-fifth year, he was elected by the 
Republican party a member of the state legislature, being the youngest member of the House. 
Four years later he was again elected to the legislature by a coalition of the Republican and 
Union Democrats by a verj^ handsome majorit\\ 

He was also appointed bj- the town to fill its quota of soldiers, and was a firm friend of 
the Union cause, furnishing money to pay for enlisted men which was afterwards repaid by 
the town. ]\Ir. Buck has never lost his interest in the soldiers who fought for the presei'vation 
of the Union, and has assisted many of them in obtaining pensions from the government. In 
the closing year of the war he changed his political faith and joined his fortunes with the 
Democratic party, and the town, which had previously been Republican, was carried by the 
Democrats. The following year he was elected to the state legislature from Willimantic, and 
ser\-ed on various important committees. 

^Ir. Buck has a firm hold on the affections of his fellow-citizens and has held nearly 
all the offices within their gift. He has been successively assessor, selectman, town clerk 
and judge of probate. In 1874, and again in 1875, he represented Willimantic in the lower 
branch of the legislature, and serv^ed both sessions on the judiciary committee. In the spring 
of the centennial year he was elected to the Senate, it being the last session in the old state 
house. His faithful committee work gained him an excellent reputation in the state capitol. 

At the Democratic Convention in the fall of 1876, he was nominated as the party candi- 
date for state treasurer, and the nomination being ratified at the polls, he filled the office for 
two years. Mr. Buck was renominated for the same position in 1878, but shared the fate of 
the rest of the Democratic ticket. Political life always had an attraction for him, and the 
various official stations he has held show that his services and experience have found ready 
appreciation among his fellows. For many years he was a member of the town connnittee, 
and also of the state central committee of the Democratic party, and for two years was a 
member of the finance committee. 

Honored at home and throughout the state, ^Ir. Buck can look back upon a career it 
would be hard to parallel. A thorough man of business and equally interested in the affairs 
of state, he occupies an enviable position in the community where he resides. Having just 
passed his three-score years, he is now in the verj- prime of his later manhood, with many 
opportunities yet before him for benefitting his town and state and for active work in the 
political organization of which he forms a prominent part. 

Edwin A. Buck was married in 1855, to Delia Lincoln of Ashford. Of the cliildreu born 
to them four are now livins:. 



444 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN 




PATTERSON, JA^MES GOODWIN, of Hartford, is one of the most widely 
known citizens of Connecticut. Through the magnitude and variet}' of his 
business interests, the zeal with which he applies himself to them, the scholarly 
uses to which his leisure is devoted, his public spirit, — the whole wide range 
of his tireless activity, — he occupies a position of peculiar prominence. 
He was born in Wintonbury, Conn., now Bloomfield, a few miles from Hartford, 
Feb. 23, 1823. Subsequently the famih' removed to New Preston, Eitchfield County (the 
birthplace of the Rev. Ur. Horace Bushnell), and there he lived until he was sixteen years 
old, studying in the schools and academy of the neighborhood with the hope of entering 
college. But circumstances not being propitious he went to Ithaca, X. Y., as an appren- 
tice to the printing house of Mack, Andrus & Woodruff, mastering the printer's art and 
following up on his own account the hints to stud}- that the business gave to a naturally 
acti^•e mind. After he had served his time as a printer he returned to New Preston and 
the family then removed to Litchfield, a dozen miles away, where he went into business with 
his father, and subsequently entered the office of Judge Origen S. Sej'mour and read law. 
Lack of means, however, led him to gi\e it up, and he once more joined his father, 
Simeon S. Batterson, in the marble business. He held to this for fi\-e years in Litchfield, 
and then, seeking a larger oppoitunity, removed to Hartford, and this city has been his 
home ever since. His father also went to Hartford and they conducted together the marble 
business there. Their work at first consisted largely of monuments and other cemetery 
work, but gradiially developed into the construction of buildings, first at home and later all 
over the country. From its small beginning, he has developed this industry to one of very 
large importance, and has beeti interested in putting up many of the finest structures in 
the country. 

Iti Hartford he made the plans for and built the old brown stone Pratt Street Savings 
Bank, taken down a few years ago, because outgrown, and built the brown stone State 
Savings Bank building on Pearl Street, the marble building on Main Street of the Phcenix 
National Bank, the granite and marble work of the Connecticut ]\Iutual Life Insurance 
Company's building, corner of Pearl and Main Streets, and the famous marble capitol on 
Bushnell Park, besides various other works of importance. About i860, after he had been 
in the business about fifteen j-ears in Hartford, ]\Ir. Batterson established his marble works 
in New York City, and from that has built up what is now the largest and best equipped 
establishment in that line in the United States. It is on Eleventh Avenue, and employs 
about five hundred men. His fii'st New York contract was the W^orth monument at the 
jtmctiou of Fifth Aveime and Broadway in 1857. Other work of his includes the stone and 
marble part of the Mutual Life building in New York, the granite and marble of the 
Equitable Life building, the Manhattan Bank building in Wall Street and many other banks, 
the marble work on the Waldorf and Imperial hotels in New York, Cornelius Vanderbilt's 
house in New York, W. K. Vanderbilt's marble residence at Newport, R. I., the City Hall 
in Providence, R. I., and the granite and marble work of the great Library for Congress now 
going up in Washington. 

His success in this work is a result not merely of his indomitable energy and push, 
but also of the application of intelligent study to the subject. Mr. Batterson is well up in 
geology as well as a dealer in stone, and his attention to this branch of science was 
developed almost accidentally. New Preston, where he lived as a boy, is near Lake 
Waramaug and on the east side of the lake rises the pinnacle of Alt. Waramaug. One day 
J. G. Percival, the poet-geologist of Connecticut, came through that region and hired the 




Waasach-usetts Pubiishmg Co.Svere-tt.Mass. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1S94. 445 

boy Batterson to guide liiin to the top of the pinnacle. (Percival used to make trips all 
about the state in his studies and made the first geological survey of the state.) As they 
went up the pinnacle he kept hammering the rocks and gathering specimens until the boy, 
who was ordered at such times to hold the horse, thought the stranger crazy and was on 
the point of surrendering his contract and running home. He mustered courage, however, 
to ask first what all this was for, and Percival finding the boy interested sat down and gave 
him his first lessons in geology, put with such clearness and enthusiasm that the youno- 
hearer was delighted and at once began to apply himself to the same study. He has 
become now an acknowledged authority in that line and his scientific attainment as well as 
his business progress maj- be traced to the chance meeting with Percival and the trip up 
the pinnacle of Waramaug. 

"Sir. Batterson has traveled frequently and extensively abroad. His first trip was in 
1858, when he was sent out by Col. Samuel Colt, Enoch Pratt and others, to settle the 
affairs and bring home the works of the promising Hartford sculptor, Bartholomew, whose 
untimely death at Rome had closed a most promising career. Bartholomew's works are now 
in the keeping of the Wadsworth Atheneum at Hartford. Mr. Batterson put up a monument 
for the sculptor close by Vergil's tomb, near Naples, where he was buried. 

The winter of 1858-59, he spent in Egypt where he met Brunei, the great English 
engineer, and made a critical study of the ancient monuments in the valley of the Nile. 

Again, in 1863, he went abroad and on this trip he noticed the system of railway 
passengers' assurance that was then beginning to prove itself a success in England. He 
consulted the actuaries, brought home the idea and organized the Travelers' Insurance Com- 
pany of Hartford. The scheme was first laughed at as visionary and then, when its 
success was apparent, was threatened with extinction through reckless and universal 
competition. Seventy rival companies were started within a few years, but all of them died 
and the Travelers absorbed the business. It was the first company of its kind in the 
country and is now not only the oldest but the largest and most famous in the world. A 
wise management, which includes the prompt payment of losses, has made it known all 
over the civilized world wherever accidents happen. In 1866, the company added also a 
regular life insurance to its business and it is now one of the great life companies of the 
country. Mr. Batterson has been the president of the Tra\-elers ever since it was established, 
and^the founding of this company in the face of doubt and even ridicule, and making of it 
the great and famously successful institution that it is, will probably be reckoned his great- 
est work in life. At the time of this writing, July, 1S94, the Travelers' Insurance Companj' 
has over $16,000,000 invested assets, and has paid over $25,000,000 in losses to policy-holders. 

Speaking of the fact that the Travelers entered upon an untrodden field in the range 
of insurance, "Hartford in 1889" says: 

For eight generations children have read with uual)ated interest of the pilgrimage of Hooker and his 
flock through the trackless forest, from Massachusetts Bay to the banks of the Connecticut, with only the 
compass and north star for guides. On starting into the wilderness the Travelers had the benefit of neither 
compass nor star. At home no one had gone before to cut a bush or blaze a tree, while the conditions underlying 
the casualty business in England differed so widely from those in America that the scanty generalizations 
formulated in tables by the pattern company proved treacherous and misleading. From the bottom stone in 
the foundation to the flag-staff on the tower, the officers constructed as they went, without aid from architectural 
designs or preformed plans, necessarily making many mistakes, and costly mistakes, too — tearing down, changing, 
rebuilding, adding here and discarding there — till from a chaos of materials grew the present solid, stately and 
enduring edifice, the despair of rivals and the delight of friends. 

No kind of business, and especially no liraiich of insurance, can be carried on with safety till its laws have 
been generalized from a wide range of experience. In the case of the Travelers, it was necessary to get the 
experience and to deduce the governing principles simultaneously. The process of adjustment demanded 
frequent and radical changes in classifications and rates, introducing confusion into methods, annoying and 

57 



446 REPRESENTATU'E MEN 

losing patrons, and exciting in faithful agents ebullitions of sore displeasure. The knife of the surgeon was in 
constant requisition. Meanwhile, the executive officers did not sleep on beds of roses, at least till the small 
hours of the morning, for midnight often found them at headquarters, toiling over the solution of changeful 
problems, or anxiously discussing what should be done next. 

A sketch of Mr. Batterson in " An Illustrated Popular Biography of Connecticut," 
speaking of this portion of his life, says : 

Mr. Batterson in 1S63 had been on one of his various tours through Europe and the East, which have made 
him one of the best informed men of the generation on Oriental geography, histor\', politics and social life ; and 
returning from Italy, where he had given acute attention to marbles and architecture, passed through England, 
where the success of the Railway Passengers' Assurance Company, founded a few years before, had demonstrated 
that accident insurance was practicable — a fact much shadowed b^- the failures of previous petty attempts iu 
England. Grasping at Once the possibilities of the new business, and as a Hartford man feeling the instinctive 
local capacity for success in the insurance field, he induced a number of other capitalists and active business men 
to join with him in starting an accident company ; $250,000 was paid iu as capital, and a charter obtained the same 
year for insuring against accidents of travel alone. But it was not till the next year, when the charter was 
amended to allow it to insure against accidents of all kinds, that much business was done. Very few but the 
promoters expected it to live any length of time, and when in a year or so it became evident that it was to be one of 
the great business successes of the age, this sudden growth and prosperity came near being more ruinous than its 
first difficulties ; for it inspired such a belief that the accident business w-as the sure road to wealth, that, in the 
"boom " which followed, a swarm of new companies were organized, and most of the great railroads ejected the 
Travelers and started accident organizations of their own. A new corporation, the Railway Passengers' Assurance 
Company, composed of representatives from all the leading accident companies, was formed in the winter of 1866 to 
consolidate the railway "ticket" business under one management; a few years later everj' one of the others was 
dead, and the Travelers, as the sole legatee, turned the company into the ticket department of its own organization. 
Its superiority of brains, money, and incredibly hard work and economy, had enabled it to remain the solitary 
survivor. Meanwhile in i856, it had added a regular life-insurance department, which in the last few years has 
taken sudden and enormous strides that have placed it among the foremost of New England companies. 

Mr. Battersou is a man whom a robust physical frame, and a still more robust, assimilative and flexible 
intellect, enable to accomplish an amount and variety of work which fills the ordinary man with wonder and 
despair. One of the most %-aluable intellectual qualities is the faculty of instant adjustment to any new piece of 
work — -one of the rarest and most precious of faculties; to him, five minutes' time are good for five min- 
utes' accomplishment whenever taken. He is a formidable debater, a capable actuary and a thorough student of 
economics. 

The amount of solid reading he does would alone tax severely the energies of most men ; he keeps abreast 
of the highest thought of the age, and knows what its leaders are thinking and saying on every subject. He has a 
large library, of the highest quality in selection. His judgment iu art is delicate and just, and his fine collection 
of pictures covers a remarkable range of schools and subjects. Altogether, few men live a more symmetrical life 
of business aud thought, assimilation and production ; and in his combination of vigor and delicacy of mind, of 
solid judgment and nice taste of appreciation alike of the profoundest thought and the subtlest graces of style, 
he has few equals. • 

But neither has life and accident insurance with its innumerable exactions, nor the 
quarrying of granite and marble and the construction of great buildings, absorbed all of Mr. 
Batterson's time. The leisure, which most busy men give to recreation, he de^•otes to study, 
finding in change of mental activity the rest that other men find in doing nothing. He is 
an earnest student of Greek, Latin, Italian, French and Spanish, and has all the time some 
special study on hand into which he plunges when he has a spare hour or evening. He is 
a great lover of Homer, Vergil and Horace, and has rendered much of the Iliad into Eng- 
lish, preserving the metre and the literal meaning of the Greek. 

Mr. Batterson is a man of compact frame and commanding presence, possessing a pow- 
erful voice and a ready wit, and in ptiblic gatherings is a most effective speaker. He has 
never sought nor taken public office, but has, nevertheless, been and is a great force in 
the community. He was one of the organizers of the Republican party, and all through 
the war was the chairman of its state central committee, never losing an election, and man- 
aging affairs with a tact that dispelled jealousies, owing to his wise judgment of men, and 
the fact that he was not himself a candidate for anv office. 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-18,^4. 447 

Mr. liatlerson's home is an elegant residence on Alban\- Avenne, a mile or more from 
liis office. In the picture gallery are choice examples of the old Italian .schools of paint- 
ing, the Dutch and Flemish schools, and the modern French, English and Belgian. His 
studies at home and abroad, and his extensive travels have made him an anthority in art 
matters. His mineralogical collection is also exceedingly valuable, and includes a multitude 
of choice specimens — in many cases a special story of its discovery attaching to each piece. 
This, he found in an Egyptian chalk cliff, that, he found in Russia, another in Scotland, 
or Norway, or Italy or in our own far West, and each full of interest and practical instruction. 

The honorary degree of j\I. A. was conferred upon him by Yale, at the suggestion of 
his friend. Dr. Bushnell, and also by Williams College. He is a trustee of Brown University, 
a member of the society for Biblical Exegesis and an active member of the Baptist church. 

Mr. Batterson married Eunice Elizabeth, daughter of Jonathan Goodwin, Esq., of 
Hartford, and has two children living: James G. Batterson, Jr., vice-president of The New 
England Granite Works, and Mary Elizabeth, wife of Charles Coffing Beach, M. D. 




pjUSSELL, CHARLES ADDISON, of Killingly, congressman from the Third 
District, was born in Worcester, Mass., March 2, 1852. Of Mr. Ru.s.sell's 
genealogy it may be mentioned that his paternal ancestors settled in Cambridge, 
IMass., and remained there long enough to take a hand in the celebrated fight 
at Lexington before they emigrated to New Hampshire where his father was born. 
His mother, who was a W'entworth, traced her lineage directly to the old colonial Governor 
Wentworth of New Hampshire. 

Receiving his primary education in the common schools of Worcester, he was prepared 
for college under the tuition of Rev. Harris R. Greene. He was graduated from Yale 
University in the class of 1873, taking high rank as a student, and winning popularity in his 
class by his genial manner and his enthusiasm in athletic sports. Immediately after his oradua- 
tion he devoted himself to newspaper work, and, up to 1878, was actively engaged on the 
Worcester Pnss as city editor, and was for a short time thereafter connected with the Worcester 
Spy. Since that time Mr. Russell has been engaged in the business of manufacturing woolens 
at the village of Dayville, in the town of Killingly, as treasurer of the Sabin L. Sayles Company. 
In 1881, he was appointed aide-de-camp on the staff of Governor Bigelow, and was a very 
popular member of the official gubernatorial family. He served the town of Killingly in the 
state House of Representatives in 1883, and was House chairman of the committee on cities and 
boroughs. While in the legislature he distinguished himself by his readiness in debate and 
skill in disposing of the public business. He was secretary of state in 1885-86, having been 
elected on the Republican ticket with Hon. H. B. Harrison at its head. Thus the stages 
were ver>' natural that led in the fall of 1886 to his elevation as candidate for Congress from 
the Third District, and he received victorious support at the polls, which always has been 
the case whenever he has been a candidate for public office. The honor thus bestowed has 
been three times repeated, and he is now serving his fourth term in the halls of Congress. 
The record shows that the interests of the Third District were wisely entrusted, and have 
been safely guarded at the national capital during Mr. Russell's incumbency of the high and 
honorable office. 

Congressman Russell is a forcible writer, a polished and graceful speaker, and a man of 
exceptional abilities. His political speeches in various portions of the state during recent 
campaigns were of the most reasonable and convincing character, increasing the intensity 



448 REPRESENTATIVE MEN 

of partisan friendships on the part of those already within the Repnblican party and unqnes- 
tionahly adding new recruits from among the intelligent and thoughtful part of the opposition. 
From his speech at the Republican State Convention in 1892, a trio of paragraphs are 
selected, showing his forcible style and strength of statement : 

So, gentlemen delegates, assembled here as representative in every section of Connecticut of the Republi- 
can party, we have reason to feel and express confidence of coming success. The Republican party was born in 
an aggressive advocacj' of freedom, progress and prosperity for American humanity. It is to continue its aggression 
in this campaign for the maintenance of American industry, for the development of .\merican enterprise and the 
supremacy of .\nierican labor conditions. The issue is squarel}- drawn. Our opponents for once have honestly 
expressed their polic)- in their platform. The\' didn't really intend to do so, and ever since the declaration of 
their national convention, they have sought to apologize and explain. But the southern Bourbon and the eastern 
mugwump are running Democracy and the Cleveland tariff reform is shorn of all ambiguities in this campaign 
and means free trade. Our opponents are thirsting for a campaign of education, and warring among themselves 
as to the system of education which the)' shall teach. It is an old heresy of Democracy to disintegrate the 
geography of this Union, and this Democratic campaign for the education of the people is now, as in the past, 
somewhat geographically disintegrated as respects industrial policies and legislation. Against their textbook 
theories and essays, which tax the ingenuity, to corral in the respective localities for which they are com- 
pounded as specific remedies, we submit as practical education the prosperous condition of the countr\- as a 
whole. Our campaign is waged on the education which is illustrated in the renewed thrift of the Connecticut 
valley farms, and in the newly established industry of a thriving Bridgeport, or a prosperous Xew Haven, or a 
busy, bustling manufacturing village of one of our eastern counties. We gauge tariff legislation on practical 
results, and not on theoretical disquisitions. 

As Republicans, our patriotic duty is to aggressively and constantly present the issue as made for us by 
the nominations and the platform of the Democratic party. A noted Democratic authority in the newspaper 
line just now declares that "the Democratic party is committed to the doctrine that the McKinley tariff is not 
a benefit but an injur}- to the American people. Its success in the present canvass largely rests upon the estab- 
lishment of that truth in the minds of the people." Truth, indeed! In the last campaign malicious and false 
statement of the probable effect of the McKinley law is to receive refutation in this campaign by truthful and 
potent illustration of practical results. The Democratic party is committed to the doctrine that the American 
people are iu a condition of calamitous distress, staggering under a tariff which establishes and develops our 
industries and maintains and increases the wages and blessings of our work people. The Democratic party resents 
as a blow to its cause and as a factor in its defeat any publication of facts and any state of things which shows the 
contrary of our distress and povertj'. Every pound of tobacco grown in the Connecticut valley is a thorn in the 
Democratic side. Every yard of plush or velvet woven in the new Bridgeport factorj' is an argument against 
the Democratic position. Every case of cotton goods sent to South .-Vmerica from a Connecticut mill is a damage 
to the Democratic issue. The report of the United States Senate finance committee, showing increased wages 
and diminished cost of living, is a knock down to the Democratic party. And now "the cold facts" from the 
Democratic labor commissioner of the state of New York, showing that seventy-seven per cent, of the industries 
covered in that state present an increase either of wages, or products, or both, since the operation of the McKinley 
law, is a knock out for the Democratic issue in this campaign. 

The first session of the Fiftj'-secoud Congress has closed. The Democrats enjoyed a majority of one hundred 
and fifty -three over the Republicans, and adjournment was made without any serious effort to repeal the McKinley 
law. Was the law a tithe of the iniquity and damage they declare it, then surely they were bound in duty and in 
honesty to repeal it. Failing to do so, they stand convicted of asserting what they do not believe and what the 
facts disprove. Their piecemeal attack on the McKinley law was buncombe and quite on a line with " Holmanese " 
economy. On a profession of affording free raw material to the industries of the countrj-, the}- select wool and 
binding twine as the articles to be first of all relieved of all tariff duty. The nice discrimination of Democratic 
intellect which classes wool and binding twine in the same category of free raw material is plastic political jugglery. 
The wool of the West is as much a product of industry as the woolen cloth of the East, and each is a legitimate 
and necessary consideration of a protective tariff. Each industry has prospered and the country been benefitted 
by the effort of protection, and each is destined to be further developed by the continuance of the protective system. 
Under a high tariff on wool, the number of sheep in the United States increased from 28,000,000 to 44,000.000. 
Under the Democratic tariff prior to 1S60, Great Britain was making most of our woolen goods for us, and her 
woolen mills were consuming annually 300,000,000 pounds of wool, while our mills consumed 85.000,000 pounds. 
Under the Republican protective tariff, we are largely making our own woolen goods, and consuming every year 
now more than 400,000,000 pounds of wool, while the mills of Great Britain consume scarcely 50,000,000 more than 
our factories. So we are catching up with the old country just as we did in the iron industry. We have crossed 
the line and passed our rival in the iron manufacture, and we will do the same in the woolen trade. In ten years 
we have increased the amount of wages paid to operatives in American woolen mills from ^47, 000, 000 to 176,000,000. 
But in face of this magnificent increase iu production and wages and in full light of the fact that domestic woolens 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-1894. 449 

are cheaper than ever before to the consumer, the Democratic tariff-reformers select the wool anJ woolen industries 
in their guerilla war on protection as the first for destruction, and propose first in their reform to give over the 
home market for wool and woolens to foreigners. Under protection we have become the greatest manufacturing 
people in the world, and the greatest agricultural people as well. Mechanical industries have been built up in 
the midst of our farms, and labor and capital are not more necessary partners in the development of business 
than are manufacture and agriculture essential to laborers in the establishment and profit of American industry. 

Mr. Russell was married in 1S80, to Ella Frances, daughter of the late Hon. Sabin L. 
Sayles of Killingly. They have two children. 




'LATT, ORVILLE HITCHCOCK, LL. D., of Meriden, distinguished American 
lawyer and statesman, who has held in succession the offices of secretary of 
state, state senator and speaker of the House of Representatives of Connecticut, 
and who is now serving his third term as a United States senator from that 
state, was born in the town of Washington, lyitchfield County, Conn., on July 
19, 1827. He is a son of Daniel G. Piatt, a well-known and respected farmer of Litchfield 
County, who died at Washington, where he had resided many years, in 1871, being then 
sixty-three 3'ears old. His mother, nee Almyra Hitchcock, was also a native of Connecticut. 
The subject of this sketch remained at the old homestead until he was almost of age, 
giving his parents the love, honor and allegiance of a dutiful son and assisting his father 
in the management of the farm. Brought up in a home dominated by intelligence and the 
Christian virtues, he was given every incentive to improve his mind and was warmly encour- 
aged to persevere in his studies. Having made excellent use during his early boyhood of his 
privileges at the district schools, he was sent in his youth to the academy in his native town, 
sometimes facetiously termed "the Gunnery," after its principal, Mr. Frederick W. Gunn, an 
able and accomplished teacher, under whose personal supervision he was instructed in the 
higher mathematics, rhetoric and the classics. When he was about twenty years of age he 
applied himself to the law, studying for a time in the oihce of the Hon. Gideon H. Hollister, 
then a leading lawyer of Litchfield and also celebi-ated as a historical writer. In 1849, 
]Mr. Piatt, then a j-onng man of twenty-two, possessed of sound sense, a good education and 
a ver}- thorough preparation for practice, was admitted to the bar at Litchfield. About a year 
and a half later he availed himself of an opportunity to still further qualify himself for the 
demands of his profession by taking a position as chief clerk in the office of the Hon. Ulysses 
Mercur, a leading lawyer of Towanda, Bradford County, Pa., whose distinguished abilities 
have .since raised him to the dignified office of chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Key- 
stone State. Admitted to the Pennsylvania bar, he practiced at Towanda until 1851, when he 
returned to Connecticut and opened law offices in Meriden, where he established himself as a 
permanent resident. 

Soon after his return to Meriden Mr. Piatt became associate editor of The Whig, a paper 
which had an existence of about three years, and the experience he gained in this capacity has 
since been useful to him in numerous ways. From 1852 to 1857, he served as judge of probate 
for the Meriden District. In 1855, he was chosen clerk of the Senate of Connecticut and .served 
as such during the session of that year. One of the first to enlist under the standard of the 
Republican party upon its organization in 1856, he took a very active part in politics and dis- 
played such marked ability that in 1857 he was nominated on the state ticket for the office 
of secretar}' of state, and was elected, serving one term. In 1861, he was elected to the state 
Senate as the representative of the Sixth District. During the single term he served in this 



450 



REPRESENTA Til E MEX 



body, and likewise during the whole period of the Civil War, he was a firm supporter of the 
war measures of the federal government, and was untiring both as an official and as a private 
citizen to aid the Union cause and to comfort and sustain those who had taken up arms in 
its defense. 

In 1864, he was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives, and was honored 
by being made chairman of the judiciary committee. This appointment carried with it bj' 
long-established custom the leadership of the party, and noljl\- did he fulfil the trust reposed 
in him. The constitutional amendment providing for the extension of the elective franchise 
to the soldiers in the field was passed by the Senate by the party vote of eighteen to three. 
The claim was inunediateh- made by the opposition that the amendment had failed to secure 
the votes of two-thirds of the whole house, and the speaker, guided by the precedent in his 
favor, decided that the amendment was not carried. Mr. Piatt appealed from this decision, and 
after a protracted debate, resulting from his protest, the amendment was carried without a 
.shadow of doubt as to its legality. Five years later he was again chosen to represent the 
town of Meriden in that branch of the state legislature. At the beginning of the latter term 
he was elected speaker of the House, and presided over its deliberations with wisdom and 
impartiality. When he retired from the speaker's chair at the close of the term, he was known 
and respected throughout the state as one of its purest and airiest officials, one whose qualifica- 
tions for legislative work were of an e.xceptionally high order, and whose brilliant abilities, 
energy and influence it was eminently desirable to retain in the public service. Notwithstand- 
ing this, however, and in the face of a strong party sentiment to keep him in public life, Mr. 
Piatt retired for a time from politics to give his attention more fulh- to his law practice which 
had grown to very extensive proportions and demanded his close personal supervision. 

He was appointed state's attorney for New Haven County in 1877. Two years later, just 
before the expiration of the official term of the Hon. Wm. H. Barnum as United States senator 
from Connecticut, Mr. Piatt's name was repeatedly and prominently mentioned as that of a 
tried and trusted citizen of large experience in public and legislative affairs, who might be 
relied upon to fill this eminent position with honor and benefit to the state. The sentiment 
in Mr. Piatt's fa\-or grew \ery rapidly, and on Jan. 16, 1879, when the Republican members 
of the stale legislature held a caucus to select their candidate, he was one of the two or three 
men in the whole commonwealth who was found to have a strong support for the approaching 
vacancy. On the thirty-eighth ballot out of the one hundred and forty-nine votes cast, he 
received sevent)-six ; Gen. Joseph R. Hawle)-, one of the most popular men in the state, 
seventy-two ; and Mar.shall Jewell one. This ballot proving satisfactory, the nomination of 
Mr. Piatt was, on motion, made unanimous, and, as the Republicans controlled the state legis- 
lature, he was elected senator of the United States. 

From his earliest manhood, he has always enjoyed the most implicit confidence of the 
citizens of his adopted cit}-. When his election became known, the\- ga\'e him an enthusiastic 
reception, members of both political parties being represented. To be right has always 
been the leading aspiration of Senator Piatt's life ; and in response to some kindly words he 
took advantage of the opportunity to emphasize this characteristic. He said : '" That which 
is right is priceless to me ; and in all the campaigns and achievements of the Republican party 
in which T ha\'e participated, I have ne\-er steered a middle course, but did what I thought 
to be right." A friend of excellent discrimination said of him at the time, — and the words 
seem almost prophetic: "Senator Piatt carries to the Senate independence of judgment, 
intimate acquaintance with political history, and a thorough mastery of the fundamental 
principles of a Republican form of government. We greatly mistake if the senator does not 
prove to be one of the ablest and most serviceable members Connecticut has ever sent to the 
honorable bod\' to which he is accredited." 



OF CONNECTICUT, 1861-181)4. 451 

In 1885, at the expiration of his first term, he was nnaniniously reelected; and in 1R91, 
at the close of his second term he was again accorded this distinguished honor. On the 
assembling of the Senate in March, 1893, the Republicans, for the first time in thirty years, 
found they were not in the majority. Senator Piatt was one of the few members of his party 
who received a minority chairmanship. At this time when such remarkable attention is being 
paid to the public health, his committee, that entitled " on the transportation and sale of meat 
products," is one of special importance. Senator Piatt also retains his assignments as a 
minority member on the committees with which he has hitherto been prominentl}' identified : 
territories, Indian affairs, judiciary, patents, and the revision of the laws. 

The official career of Mr. Piatt affords a noteworthy example of the tendency in an enlight- 
ened communit}- to seek out men of brains, character and merit for positions of public trust, 
and also of the desire to reward and honor unswerving fidelity to the public interests. Without 
resorting to the arts of the practical politician, Senator Piatt has attained to the highest legis- 
lative rank in the Republic. The test of time has only served to prove the wisdom of his 
selection for the eminent position he has filled so ably for so many \ears. Every official act of 
his has been prompted by the purest patriotism and has had its foundation in wisdom and honor. 
The only question in his mind before taking sides upon a public issue seems to be : " Do the 
best interests of the people require that I support or oppose this measure ? ' ' Once this has 
been answered conscientiously, he devotes himself to the matter in hand with all the zeal of 
an earnest, truthful and energetic nature, confident in the success of the right and working 
for that end with all the skill and resources at his command. 

Senator Piatt is a terse and forceful speaker, preferring brevit}', clearness and preci.sion to 
any striving after material effect. At the state and count}^ conventions of his party. Senator 
Piatt has been called to preside many times. Ease and gracefulness characterize his ser\'ices 
in this capacity, and these attributes, combined with his strict impartiality, render him a model 
presiding officer. His speeches on such occasions usually give the keynote to the campaign 
which follows. He was selected as the president of the Republican State Convention at New 
Haven in September, 1890, and spoke at length on the issues of the hour. Senator Piatt's 
ser\-ices as a speaker are always in demand, and the announcement of a speech or oration from 
him is sure to attract a large assemblage. At the commencement of the war his voice and 
talents were put to excellent use in the service of his countn,', and old soldiers will remember 
well his stirring orations. His delivery is convincing and his words well chosen and to the 
point. At a meeting of the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the Revolution held at 
Meriden in February, 1893, he made a strong plea for a new history of the state modelled upon 
lines which he pointed out. He said the Connecticut Society could not assume to itself a 
nobler mission than to insist that such a history be written, and went on to show that a body 
of men whose ancestors had an}' part in the Revolution might lie insiiired to patriotic zeal by 
a perusal of the vivid story of the past. His allusions to the future of the country were 
received with rounds of applaixse. 

Of Senator Piatt's speech in the Senate on the Roach case, the New York Recorder .says : 
" The great speech of the debate was made by Senator Piatt of Connecticut. It was a master- 
piece of concise statements and irresistible logic, and he laid before the Senate and the country 
coldly and relentlessly the damning charges which had been made against the North Dakota 
senator, and which had not been denied." The Netv York Tribune says: "Senator Piatt's 
arguments were conclusive and impregnable. They left the Democrats without a leg to 
stand upon." 

Senator Piatt is one of those comparatively rare examples of marked success professionally 
and politically, to whose record his fellow-citizens who have known him from bo\-hood can 



452 REPRESENTATIVE MEN. 

point young men, and without hesitation invite them to make it a study for their conduct 
in life. It was a fine moral spectacle he presented when, for many years, he was the 
beloved teacher of a class of about one hundred members in the Sunday-school of a leading 
Meriden church. Never did he put his talents to a better use, and his influence for good 
cannot be estimated. The condition of the world at large would be greatly improved if 
more men of Senator Piatt's stamp were to devote even a portion of their time to making 
clear the hidden mysteries of the Word of God. 

A practical man of affairs, he always commands the attention of his auditors and never 
forfeits their respect. His legal practice has attained very great proportions, and in the 
conduct of patent cases, of which, for years, he has made a specialty, he ranks with the 
most successful in the country. His eminent position as a lawyer has been won by many 
years of study and hard work, and the regard in which he has always been held by his 
colleagues at the bar is the legitimate outcome of a most honorable professional experience. 
In private life he holds a place not in any degree inferior, being respected by all who come 
into contact with him in any capacity, or for any purpose. Without ostentation, he has 
done much as a promoter of Christian and philanthropic work, his aims being the good of 
society and the succor of the weak, helpless and unfortunate. For many years he has 
been a consistent promoter of temperance, and his public utterances on this subject gave 
forth no uncertain sound. No man in Connecticut enjoys a wider or more enduring 
popularity. 

Orville H. Piatt was married May 15, 1850, to Miss Annie Bull of Towanda, Pa. Two 
children were the result of this union : James Perr}-, now in partnership with his father in 
Meriden, and Daniel Gold, who died, at the age of six years, in 1864. Mrs. Piatt was a lineal 
descendant of the Calverts who came from England and settled in Virginia. Her death 
occurred in November, 1893. A prominent member of the First Congregational Church in 
Meriden, she took a great interest in all charitable institutions and societies. She was always 
kind to the needy and distressed, and in an unostentatious manner performed many charitable 
acts. Until a few years ago, her homes, both in Meriden and Washington, were the scenes 
of many pleasant social gatherings, and she proved herself a most charming hostess and a 
successful entertainer. From the time of her affliction until her death, her daughter-in- 
law, -Mrs. J. P. Piatt, was her constant attendant. 




INDEX. 



Allen, Jeremiah Mervin 46 

Allen, John 368 

Alsop, Joseph Wright 128 

Augur, Phineas Miller 183 

Averill, Roger 9 

Bacon, Francis, M. D iii 

Bailey, Ezra Brewster 134 

Baldwin, Simeon Eben 102 

Barnum, Phineas Taylor 262 

Barnum, William Henry 71 

Batcheller, Wheelock T 151 

Batterson, James Goodwin .... 444 

Belding, Alvah Norton 160 

Benedict, Elias Cornelius .... 89 

Bigelow, Hobart Baldwin . . . . 235 

Bill, Henry 280 

Billings, Charles Ethan 227 

Blackstone, Lorenzo 196 

Bradley, Nathaniel 370 

Brainard, Leverett 257 

Brandegee, Augiistus 53 

Brewster, Lyman Denison .... 387 

Brooker, Charles Frederick . . . . 278 

Brooks, Isaac Watts 23 

Browne, John D 265 

Buck, John R 244 

Buck, Edwin A 442 

Buckingham, William Alfred ... 5 

Buel, Henry Wadhams, M. D. . . . 24 

Bulkeley, Morgan Gardner .... 55 

Bulkeley, William Henry .... 95 

Burr, Alfred Edmund 30 

Cad)', Ernest 19 

Camp, Hiram 381 

Carpenter, Elisha 281 

* Deceased since the sketch was placed in type. 
58 



Case, Newton 131 

Chaffee, Charles Elmer 230 

Chaffee, Joseph Dwight 177 

Chapman, Maro S 424 

Chase, George Lewis 59 

Cheney, Benjamin Hicks, M. D. . . 430 

Clark, William Braddock 77 

Clemens, Samuel Langhonie . . . . 437 

Clowes, George Hewlett 202 

Coe, Lyman Wetmore 275 

Coit, Robert 172 

Colt, Samuel 246 

Converse, Julius 321 

Cooke, Lorrin A 402 

Corbin, Philip 255 

Crofut, Henry 192 

Day, Calvin 395 

Day, George Herbert 215 

Davis, Charles Henry Stanley, M. D., 92 

DeForest, Robert E 421 

Dennis, Rodney 113 

Dewell, James Dudley 305 

Dickinson, Francis Lemuel, 1\L D. . . 130 

*Douglas, Benjamin 10 

Dunbar, Edward Butler 123 

Dwight, Henry Cecil 62 

Edgerton, F^rancis D., M. D. . . . 426 

Enders, Thomas Ostram 428 

English, James Edward 357 

Farnam, Henry 15^ 

Fenn, Augustus Hall 38 

Ferry, Orrin Sanford 293 

Fessenden, Samuel 377 

Fitch, Samuel 400 



454 



INDEX. 



Franklin, William Bnel 50 

French, Carlos 107 

Fyler, Orsamus R 119 

Gallup, David 141 

Gatling, Richard Jordan 314 

Gay, Henry .138 

Goodwin, James 120 

Greene, Jacob Lyman 232 

Gregory, James Glynn, M. D. . . . 413 

Gross, Charles Edward 142 

Hall, John Henry 174 

Hall, John Manning 431 

Halsey, Jeremiah 109 

Hamersle}-, William 322 

Hamilton, David Boughton .... 427 

Hammond, George Asahel .... 385 

Harris, Jonathan Newton 222 

Harrison, Henr^' Baldwin 27 

Harrison, Lynde 360 

Hawley, Joseph Russell 238 

Healey, William Arnold 180 

Hendee, Lucius Justin 290 

Henry, Edward Stevens 190 

Hicks, Ratcliffe 328 

Hooker, John 416 

Howard, James Leland 80 

Howard, Mark 2ii 

Hoyt, Heusted W. R 167 

Hubbard, Henry Griswold .... 407 

Hubbard, Leverett Marsden .... 440 

Hubbard, Richard Dudley .... 352 

Hubbard, Robert, RL D 342 

Hyde, Alvan Pinney 302 

Hyde, Ephraim H 414 

Ingersoll, Charles Roberts .... 82 

Jarvis, George Cyprian, M. D. . . . 193 

Jewell, Marshall 75 

Jewell, Pliny 44 

Kellogg, Stephen Wright 185 

Keney, Henry 105 

Keney, Walter 106 

Kimball, Carlos Clinton 149 

Kingsbury, Frederick vSt. John . . . 139 



Landers, George Marcellus . . . . 179 

Leonard, Elbridge Knowlton, ^L D. . 65 

Lindsley, Charles Augustus, ^L D. . 326 

Lines, H. Wales 439 

Lockwood, Frederick St. John . . . 117 

Loomis, Dwight 345 

Loomis, Francis B 336 

Lounsbury, Phineas Chapman . . . 365 

Merwin, Samuel Edwin 146 

Miles, Frederick 417 

Miller, Edward 152 

Minor, William Thomas 287 

Mitchell, Charles E 340 

Mitchell, Charles LeMoyne .... 372 

Morgan, Daniel Nash 391 

Morgan, Henry Kirke 66 

Morgan, J. Pierpont 245 

Morgan, Junius Spencer 187 

Morris, Luzon Burritt 17 

Morse, George Milton '206 

Nichols, James 169 

Noble, William Henry 362 

Parker, Charles 84 

Porter, George Loring, M. D. . . . 375 

Porter, Noah 311 

Pratt, Francis Asbury 218 

Prentice, Amos Wylie 52 

Read, David M 410 

Roberts, Ebenezer 107 

Robinson, Henry Cornelius . . . . 318 

Rood, David A 425 

Root, Elisha K 33 

Russell, Gurdon Wadsworth, ]\L D. .176 

Searls, Charles Edwin 214 

Sears, Edward Hale 145 

Sessions, John Humphrey .... 306 

Sheffield, Joseph Earl 249 

Simonds, William Edgar 209 

Simpson, Samuel 30S 

Skilton, Dewitt Clinton 207 

Slater, John Fox 40 

Sperry, Lewis 296 

Sperry, Nehemiah D 267 



INDEX. 



455 



Steele, Harvey Baldwin, M. D. . . . 240 

Stiles, Nonnan Charles 259 

Stearns, Henry Putnam, M. D. . . . 2>M 

Storrs, Melancthon, M. D 224 

Strong, David jgg 

Terr)', George Edward 41^ 

Thompson, Curtis 284 

Tibbits, John Arnold 4, . 

Towne, Henry R 5- 

Torrance, David ,rr 

Turner, Edward Thomas 389 

Wainwright, W. A. M., M. D. . . . 87 

Wait, John Turner 162 

Wallace, Robert ,24 

Waller, Thomas Macdonald .... 35 



Warner, Charles Dudle\- 

Warner, Ira DeVer 

Warner, Samuel Larkin 

Welles, Gideon 

Wells, David Ames 

Wetmore, John Grinnell .... 
Wheeler, George Wakeman . 

Wheeler, Nathaniel 

Whiting, Charles B 

Wilcox, Horace Cornwall .... 

Wile, William Conrad, M. D. . . . 398 

Williams, James Baker 

Wilson, Frederick Morse, M. D. 
Wilson, Grove Herrick, M. D. 
Woodruff, George Morris .... 

Woodward, P. Henry 

Woolsey, Theodore Dwight . 



273 
379 
356 

13 
299 
220 

350 
404 
122 
271 



125 
418 
200 
136 
99 







REFERENCE INDEX. 



^tna Insurance Company, 56, 57, 77, 78, 79, 
80, 122, 123, 212, 290, 291, 292. 

-lEtna Life Insurance Company, 55, 56, 57, 
96, 128, 176, 177, 257, 258, 428, 429, 
430- 

Arthur, Chester A., 77, 172, 187, 319, 436. 

Bamnm, William H., 71 (sketch), 125, 302, 

359, 450- 
Bigelow, Hobart B., 97, 151, 235 (sketch), 

429. 
Blaine, James G., 121, 172, 378, 435. 
Brandegee, Augustus, 36, 53 (sketch), 116, 

Brown University, 23, 81, 154, 225, 328, 447. 
Buckingham, William A., 5 (sketch), 9, 12, 

52, 54, 64, 117, 126, 268, 280, 282, 296, 

302, 344, 369, 396, 401, 408, 412, 423, 

427. 
Bulkeley, EliphaletA., 55, 56, 96, 181, 258, 

428, 429. 
Bulkeley, Morgan G., 2>7, 55 (sketch), 63, 96, 

119, 137, 147, 176, i8r, 217, 258, 279, 

355, 366, 399, 429. 

Charter Oak Life Insurance Company, 23, 87, 

119, 215. 
Cleveland, Grover, 19, 2,7. 39, 72>^ 74, 91, 97, 

104, 267, 268, 298, 361, 394, 410, 411, 

440, 441- 
Colt, Samuel, 7,2,^ 34, 47, 218, 228, 246 

(sketch), 445. 
Connecticut Fire Insurance Compan>-, 115, 

265, 266, 320. 
Connecticut Historical Society, 25, 49, 79, 

189, 190, 224, 267. 
Connecticut Medical Society, 25, 88, 92, 113, 

123, 144, 177, 224, 226, 227, 327, 344, 

345, 350, 376, 399, 413. 419, 426. 



Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, 
51, 81, 96, 121, 232, 233, 234, 320, 444. 

Continental Life Insurance Company, 119, 
244, 403. 

English, James E., 72, 76, 310,-357 (sketch), 
383- 

Garfield, James A., -j-j, 100, 119, 146, 172, 

187, 293, 302, 319, 320. 
Grant, Ulysses S., 45, 76, -jj, 119, 268, 303, 

320, 322, 348, 364, 378, 436, 441. 
Greeley, Horace, 30, 31, 83. 

Harrison, Benjamin, t,-j, 65, 135, 191, 210, 

268, 270, 341, 378, 403, 442. 
Harrison, Henry B., 27 (sketch), 39, 52, 53, 

64, 72, 83, 119, 137, 185, 293, 298, 355, 

366, 403, 424, 447. 
Hartford Board of Trade, 21, 2,t„ 45, 49, 60, 

102, 135, 150, 175, 217, 218, 229, 234, 

267, 269, 320, 424, 429. 
Hartford "Courant," 19, 26, 34, 49, 63, -j-j, 79, 

99, 108, 129, 131, 133, 135, 145, 170, 

175, 182, 189, 191, 193, 210, 216, 227, 

239, 259, 273, 274, 275, 279, 397, 407, 

433- 
Hartford Fire Insurance Company, 59, 60, 61, 

105, 121, 123, 212, 234, 266, 393. 
"Hartford in 1889," 47, 56, 59, 212, 218, 

247, 429, 445. 
Hartford " Post," 97, 98, 173, 182, 210, 232, 

283, 297, 324, 335, 351, 374. 
Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insur- 
ance Company, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 150, 

429. 
Hartford Theological Seminary, 49, 133, 403. 
Hartford " Times," 13, 30, 31, 32, 284, 292, 
297, 299, 323, 367. 



458 



REFERENCE INDEX. 



Hartford Trust Company, 45, 229. 

Harvard University, i^, 95, 99, 103, 113, 

377, 378- 

Hawley, Joseph R., 28, 29, 54, 58, loi, 135, 

188, 213, 218 (sketch), 265, 270, 273, 

319, 396, 450. 

Hayes, Rutherford B., 77, 119, 436. 
Hubbard, Richard D., 25, 125, 137, 143, 
297. 323^ 334' 352 (sketch), 388. 

Ingersoll, Charles R., 72, 109, 137, 295. 

Jewell, Marshall, 29, 47, 49, 75 (sketch), loi, 

210, 359, 45°- 
Johnson, Andrew, 15, 119, 288, 289, 369. 

Lincoln, Abraham, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 54, 
84, III, 120, 173, 185, 266, 268, 287, 
288, 289, 300, 320, 338, 346, 357, 376, 

378, 434- 

Lounsbury, P. C. , 57, 119, 178, 180, 365 
(sketch), 441. 

Merwin, Samuel E., 146 (sketch), 411. 
Minor, William T., 28, 52. 
Morris, Luzon B., 17 (sketch), 21, 39, 103, 
104, 129, 137, 323, 351. 

National Fire Insurance Company, 51, 107, 

169, 170, 171, 211, 213, 245. 
New Haven "Journal and Courier," 374, 

395- 
New York, New Haven & Hartford Rail- 
road, 21, 103, loS, 117, 149, 257, 279, 

320, 362, 406, 407, 431, 433. 

C)rient Fire Insurance Company, 23, 49, 96, 
122, 123, 133, 257. 

Phoenix Insurance Company, 45, 64, 67, 78, 
175, 207, 208. 



Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company, 23, 

175, 217, 267. 
Piatt, Orville H., 270, 328, 449 (sketch). 

Robinson, Henry C, 83, 140, 318 (sketch), 
335, 353> 388. 

Sons of the American Revolution, 51, 88, 133, 
164, 175. 234, 267, 342, 372, 380, 381, 
393> 451- 

Tilden, Samuel J., 51, 188. 

Travelers' Insurance Company, 45, 79, 81, 

107, 113, 114, 350, 445, 446. 
Trinity College, 87, 98, 105, no, 122, 162, 

164, 176, 189, 194, 253, 314, 322, 363. 

United States Bank, 57, 96, 428, 429, 430. 

Waller, Thomas M., 23, 29, 35 (sketch), 97, 

98, 137, 258. 
Welles, Gideon, 13 (sketch), 28, 31, 396. 
Woodward, P. H., 33, 47, 49, 59, 99 (sketch), 

218. 
Wesleyan University, 13, 308, 368, 408, 426, 

430, 440, 441. 

Yale University, 5, 17, 19, 21, 27, 53, 55, 62, 
65, 66, 76, 82, 83, 99, 102, 103, 109, 
III, 125, 126, 130, 136, 137, 138, 140, 
145- 159, 164, 172, 176, 185, 187, 196, 
209, 211, 225, 235, 252, 254, 275, 284, 
286, 287, 293, 303, 311, 312, 313, 318, 
321, 326, 330, 331, m, 334, 335, 343, 
346, 348, 350, 356, 359, 360, 363, 369, 
388, 412, 413, 416, 418, 426, 427, 431, 

432, 447- 
Young Men's Christian Association, 104, 105, 
115, 125, 154, 224, 342, 372, 380, 381, 
393- 



V 



THE STORY OF THE BOOK. 



One is occasionally privileged to read the circumstances under which a popular novel is 
UTitten, but it is something of an innovation for the story of a book to accompanj' the 
volume itself. The sequel will show the reason for the present revelation. 

The writer was an experienced newspaper man and had an excellent situation on a 
standard Boston weekly ; he had previously assisted in bringing out two similar \-olumes in 
other states, and was debating in February, 1893, as to whether he should bring out the present 
book on Connecticut. While he was impressed from his business acquaintance with the state 
that the field was a fair one, somehow he could not settle the question for or against the propo- 
sition. He is a professed follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and has a certain amount of faith 
in prayer, but had never put any matter of business to the test. Then it occurred to him to 
" take it to the Lord in prayer," and ask Him to settle the question. 

Not long after he was sent to Hartford to represent his paper, and the thought came — 
Here is the opportunity. Accordingly he had a copy of a book issued by the pre\-ious 
company expressed ahead; he took with him an outline sketch of a prominent gentleman of 
his acquaintance, with other needed data, and started out. At the close of business hours one 
afternoon he went to his hotel, knelt down and prayed that the Lord would b)- some sign 
make it plain whether it was wise to commence the work in question. The call was made and 
the gentleman was very favorably impressed with the high character of the other work, and 
on the assurance that the standard of the present one would be equally high, he consented 
to render all the needed assistance to complete the sketch. The matter of an engraving to 
accompany the sketch w'as broached, and an appointment made at his house before business 
hours the next morning. After another prayer previous to starting, without going into 
details, an order for a fine steel plate was secured. The gentleman knew the writer as a 
newspaper man, and simply on the assurance that the work would be brought out he had 
faith enough not only to order an engraving, but also to give an introduction to others. Was 
not that a sufficient answer to the prayer for a sign? 

On his return to Boston, the writer gave up his situation as soon as other arrangements 
could be made. From that time his faith in the ultimate success of the work has never 
wavered. The Lord promised the land of Canaan to the children of Israel, but they had to 
fight for nearly every foot of the territory ; and so this has been no easily won battle. By 
means of introductions from the gentleman mentioned, other valuable friends were secured, 
and with an excellent start at the capital the whole state, or rather, its representative men 
have been made to believe that a clean, first-class biographical work was to be brought out. 
No special cases can be given, but doors have been opened to success in a wonderful manner 
and apparently by a powerful, unseen hand. Delays occurred, a few of them extremely 
aggravating ones at the last, but that is the fate of mo.st enterprises, whether they are suc- 
cessful or not. To many men the financial result of eighteen months' work would not be 
satisfactory, but the writer has done much better than if he had remained at his old place, 
and he is satisfied. 



\ 
\ 



460 THE STORY OF THE BOOK. 

Th . reader may doubt the efficacy- of prayer in business ; he may even be inclined to 
scoff at the bare thought that the God of heaven rules in the affairs of this world ; but such 
a reader knows full well that the year from March, 1893, to March, 1894, was one of the most 
inauspicious for starting new enterprises there has been in this country for a third of a 
century. Now will he explain why this work succeeded in the face of the discouraging sur- 
roundings and when so many others failed? The writer makes no claims for exceptional 
business shrewdness or ability, and he resolved some time ago to let the reason for his success 
be known. The words of the Psalmist are just as true to-day as when they were written so 
long ago : " Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass." 

William F. Moore. 




;.RS N •'& 



I 



